


To Be Human

by SinisterSound



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Character and human nature analysis, Contrary Thinking, Discussion of humanity and morality, Divergence from the social norm, Dragon Rider!AU, Dragons and fire, Enemies to Lovers, Fairytale Narrative, Fairytale-type Narration, Hongjoong and Seonghwa stop some wars, It’s very nondescriptive, Kingdoms and Dragons, Lore and Backstory, M/M, Minor character deaths and a brief mention of suicide, Potential eventual smut, Pride, Royalty, Slow Burn, Some of them are human, Tags May Be Updated, becoming king, but it will come, dragon wars, i never know what to tag, some of them are dragons, suggestive content, the Woosang is not until later, war and violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-17 04:56:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 85,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20615351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinisterSound/pseuds/SinisterSound
Summary: After centuries of War and Death, part of the world fell into a tentative, fragile peace that had formed in the most impossible of circumstances.However, to understand that peace, you must first understand dragons. And man.One specific dragon.And one specific man.Kim Hongjoong was a mistake. Seonghwa was an abomination.Together, they changed worlds.





	1. Of Dragons and Men

**Author's Note:**

> It won the twitter poll so here it is!!  
I’m having a lot of fun with this new style I’m trying, even if I’m still working out all the little things in the plot!
> 
> I do want to give fair warning: I’m not completely solid on the plot and I’m writing it as I go in a time in my life where I am swamped in work ㅠㅠ So updates may be slower than usual, but please be patient! I am working as I can! 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments on my other works! You’ve all been so sweet!  
Let me know what you think of this first chapter, and have a lovely day!  
-SS

The storytellers of the world have considered and reconsidered the best way to begin a story since the first stories began. 

Essays and droning speeches exist, full of reasons of why a story should never start with this or that. 

People are entirely too obsessed with how to begin their story that many a time, we miss the middle and the end. 

So, for the sake of our middle and our end, we will not bother ourselves with such inconveniences. 

We will simply begin at the beginning, and end at the ending. 

Conveniently for us, this story begins as it ends. 

With dragons. 

~~~~~~~ 

Dragons are to be feared. 

Any child or infant could tell you such a simple fact.

It seemed like such common sense. 

They were massive, proud, vicious animals that burned entire kingdoms to the ground in an instant, without a single thought for the humans they scorched along the way. 

There are rumors, you know… rumors that dragons once used to be humans themselves. That someone meddled with dark magic or angered some god, and began the terror that dragons became. 

Many will tell you it was nonsense, though. 

No one has ever gotten close enough to ask. 

Dragons have been around as long as time itself, they agreed. Ancient and powerful- they could spend centuries in dormant sleeps, and wake up refreshed and hungry after their nap. 

They didn’t attack human directly- no, dragons did not care so much for the bugs that crawled over their valleys and hills. But they had no qualms about destroying a forest out of boredom- the bugs that crawled and built their lives within it, be damned. 

Dragons did not deal with humans. 

Humans were as far beneath them as bugs. 

Annoying bugs. Bugs that did not appreciate losing family and land and years of work to the whims of an animal. 

Dragon hunting was a highly risky profession that rarely let those brave bugs last longer than a week. 

Those that successfully killed dragons only angered the animals that began to decide that these bugs were more annoying than they were worth.

A dragon was reasonably easy to kill- if you could get close enough to exploit the natural holes in their armor. But dragons rarely let you get close enough for that. 

And those bugs- who risked their lives for their revenge- began to discover that each dragon… was born with a Weakness. A metaphorical chink in the armor. A natural deterrent. A thing that existed that they were frightened of. That they were wary of. That they avoided. 

It was nearly impossible to discover what it was, unless you happened upon it naturally in the few moments before the dragon disintegrated you. Many simply opted for the more barbaric style of attacking and hoping to be able to reach the dragon before they were killed. 

It was not a war. 

It was life. 

A constant, never ending fight between nature and man that began to escalate and grow in ferocity with each dragon that was felled and each village that was burned. 

Each weakness that was discovered that only wrought more anger and fire from the animals they tried to extinguish. 

And one day… 

It stopped. Not over night. But it stopped. 

Dragons stopped attacking. Men stopped hunting. It was a tentative, suspicious peace that each side waited to break and shatter at the first shift towards their old ways. 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. 

To understand that peace, you must first understand dragons. And man. 

One specific dragon. 

And one specific man. 

However, it will be easier if we begin with the man- as men as so much easier to grasp the minds of than dragons, who rarely act in predictable manners. 

So, we will set dragons aside for just a moment and look into the very brief life of Kim Hongjoong. 

~~~~~~~~~

Kim Hongjoong was born in the age of Dragon Wars to his father King Hyungwoo and a queen who died shortly after his birth that he was never permitted to ask about for fear of inciting his father’s wrath. 

“Queen” here was used as a lie to hide the fact that a proper term would be “whore.” 

Kim Hongjoong was born as a bastard child to his father King Hyungwoo and a castle servant who was banished from the castle shortly after his birth. 

The true Queen ended her own life in grief at her husband’s unfaithfulness. 

King Hyungwoo spent the first month of Hongjoong’s life trying to decide whether it was more beneficial to simply kill the bastard child that embodied nothing but his own mistakes. 

However, in that time, the child’s older brother- a true prince of the kingdom- had already grown attached to the cute baby with soft skin and tiny hands that wrapped around his finger, even while it slept. 

At the suspicion that his father might kill the child, he threw a fit that lasted three weeks- refusing to listen or cooperate or eat what was given to him until he was assured of the baby’s safety. 

Left with no options, if he wanted to keep any peace in his life, King Hyungwoo kept the boy, and nothing was said of the child who had mysteriously appeared  _ after  _ the Queen’s death. No one dared to mention it. 

But everyone knew. 

His father left him to his own devices, and the only person Hongjoong interacted with outside of his caretaker and teachers was his brother.

His brother who was set to inherit the throne after his father’s death. A true prince. Not a mistake. 

His father took up all of the Crown Prince’s time, stealing him away from the bastard child whenever he could, never even casting a glance Hongjoong’s way. 

Hongjoong was left on his own to be dragged away as bells rang deafeningly to signal dragon attacks and hid in the stone basement, curled into a ball as he heard the roars and screeches as dragons attacked the castle. 

It was built of stone- a bit more resilient to their fire than wood- but they prefered to smash through the stone anyway. 

Hongjoong would emerge after hours and find entire hallways flattened. 

Such was life. They simply began to clear it away and rebuilt, too used to the violence to be bothered much by it. 

(His brother still snuck into Hongjoong’s chambers at night to hug him and make sure he was safe.) 

Hongjoong grew up in the shadows. A disgrace and bastard that only his brother seemed to care for. 

His father, however, transformed his older brother into a King that was ready to lead his kingdom and continue on the fight against the vicious animals that burned their crops and terrorized their people. 

And then… the unthinkable happened. 

Simply because humanity had a common enemy, did not eliminate war between men. In fact, in a rush for resources and unruined land, the war among men grew tenfold within a decade. His father was often in the War Room with his brother, taking trips out to the camps and battlegrounds to investigate and boost morale- his brother following for the day he would do it as king. 

Hongjoong remained behind, waiting for his brother to return. 

But one time… he didn’t. 

Because on that battlefield between men, dragons attacked. 

And Hongjoong’s brother was killed. 

Crushed beneath the rubble the dragons threw around like sand and burned to dust in their fire that reached everywhere- regardless of social position. 

He was gone. 

Hongjoong was sixteen. 

Hongjoong fell to his knees as the guard relayed the information, barely moments after Hongjoong had woken up in the morning, his entire body going numb. 

His father returned alone, without his brother or even a body to bury. 

And the castle did as they always did- they cleared away the rubble and tried to rebuild. 

His father did not. 

His father laid himself over the stone of his son’s grave and refused to leave it, screaming and mourning the loss of his only son for all the castle to hear. 

His only son. 

Hongjoong avoided the grave. Avoided his brother’s chambers. Avoided everywhere. All of it held too many memories of him passing Hongjoong a secret smile while his father tried his best to keep them separate. 

Hongjoong curled up on his bed and did not leave, unless a servant burst in when the bells rang and dragged him down to the basement. 

Hongjoong wondered if he secretly wanted the dragons to take him, too. Like they had taken his brother. 

After the numbness came anger- in the form of throwing his meals across the room, watching the plates shatter into a thousand pieces that could never be put back together. 

Tearing down the curtains, shoving over the side table, throwing down the candelabras- 

And Hongjoong felt hate form in his heart. 

His father’s body was discovered beside his brother’s grave, cold and stiff, grief finally ending his suffering from losing his only son. 

His only son. 

This chaos, however, was not something the castle could rebuild from. 

The king was dead. The Crown Prince was dead. 

All they had left was a bastard child who had spent more time locked in a room than he ever spent among those of power. 

A mistake and a disgrace who currently stood as the only viable person they could make king. 

The people rioted, gathering around the castle and screaming for the bastard child to come out, to face them, to tear down the mistake that wasn’t worthy of even  _ looking _ at the crown- 

Hongjoong listen to them scream and yell from his chambers, staring out between the curtains at the large mob that gathered, barely held back by the guards. 

That mob was his people, wasn’t it? 

Hongjoong stared, numb in the wake of his father’s death that caused such a confusion within him. 

Should he grieve or be relieved? 

Should he curse the old man for leaving him- his  _ other  _ son- simply at the loss of someone Hongjoong treasured more than that cruel man  _ ever  _ could?

Hongjoong didn’t know what to feel so he felt nothing. 

Nothing, as he gazed out at the people of his kingdom-  _ his-  _ that were crying for his blood. 

If Hongjoong let them kill him…. Who would take over? It swung around his head violently, but the question raised no emotion within him to move. 

Should Hongjoong even care? The kingdom that hid him away as their greatest shame? Should he give a single thought to them as he slowly retreats and hides himself away, leaving them to fend for themselves? 

Should he scorn them for their treatment? Exact his revenge after sixteen years of embarrassment and shame? 

Should be become no better than his father? Leave people in their greatest time of need? Abandon them, simply for his own bitter rage? 

Hongjoong leaned his head against the cool glass of the window. 

They were still at war. With several kingdoms and the dragons that burned their villages. 

What did Hongjoong know of war? He had never entered a war room once in his life. What did he know of leading? Of confidence? Of infallible decisions? 

What did he know of being king? 

Nothing. 

Almost without thought, he stood from the window, walking slowly- like in a trance. 

Hongjoong left his room, walking down the halls. 

His father and brother were both dead. He was the only option for their kingdom. 

He walked up the stairs, not even glancing at the servants who passed him. 

For once in his life… he was needed. Regardless of the reason, regardless of the people’s opinion,  _ he _ was their only hope. 

He came to the entryway to the balcony where his father had made so many speeches. The guards there cast curious glances at him, opening their mouth but never speaking as he walked between them without glancing at them. 

He came out into the sunlight he hadn’t had the courage to face for days, the roar of the crowd beneath him deafening and growing only more impossibly loud as they caught sight of him standing there. 

Hongjoong’s breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon them. 

He could see people yelling, faces red with anger and indignation. 

But he saw, also, people screaming, faces pale with fear and desperation. Mothers stood with their children huddled around them, looking up at him with pleading expression. Men glanced around, hands clasped, but looking up at him as if he held some miracle within his grasp. 

Children stared at him, grim and frightened, as if waiting for the statement that decided their life or death. 

They were all looking at him, though. 

For the first time in his life, someone looked at him. 

He felt ill. 

Hongjoong raised a hand, and the yelling quieted, but some still jeered. Hongjoong waited, expression cold and blank. 

Those yelling slowly died out until there was only the general rustle of the crowd. 

Hongjoong swallowed the bile burning the back of his throat. 

“My brother and father are dead!” It came from his chest, reaching the ears of those gathered below. 

The cacophony of outrage grew to full volume, cries of anguish and despair molded in between the yells. 

Eventually, though, they quieted as Hongjoong did nothing more. Hongjoong waited, not a single word uttered until he had their attention once more. 

Hongjoong didn’t have a single clue what to begin to say. But when he opened his mouth, words came out that he couldn’t even comprehend himself. 

“Our armies are now leaderless,” he said, voice filled with a confidence he didn’t have. “Our kingdom… floating within a chaos of having no one to rule… We are prime for the picking for attacking kingdoms and the beasts that burn our lives without a thought. We have no one to guide us.” His breath caught once more. “None but myself.” 

Cries and screams grew once more. 

Hadn’t Hongjoong just been so conflicted on his actions? He didn’t know what he was doing here. He had never made a decision, but here he was, commanding the attention of the people, and he had nothing more to decide. 

It was already too late for that. 

Too late for him to become a man like his father. 

Once more, they quieted automatically. 

“But we will not fall to ruin at the hands of the outside kingdoms.”

What the hell was he  _ saying _ ? But his lips continued to push out words that Hongjoong had never considered in his entire life. 

And the people… listened. 

“We will not leave ourselves defenseless in my brother’s death and my father’s absence,” he declared. “As the only remaining member of the royal family, I will take up that responsibility.” 

He never made the decision. But it slipped out, and Hongjoong felt like someone was controlling him, forcing out words that he never intended to say… but that fell out regardless as people stared at him, begging for answers and protection. 

There were more cries out outrage, but they were quieter, some of them dying out into curious and cautious glances around, as if waiting for Hongjoong to finish. 

One voice rang out, strong and angry. “How could a bastard protect us?” 

Hongjoong couldn’t identify the source of the cry, but he felt his expression harden. 

He had spent his entire life being shoved to the side. Being scorned and ignored. 

“I suppose you will have to simply witness it yourself,” Hongjoong replied, voice strong. “I plan to meet with my generals and discuss the war. As well as with the rest of the advisors of our kingdom, to discover our best course of action.” 

Whether they wanted him or not… Hongjoong had lit a spark within his chest. 

The part of him that told him to prove them wrong. 

The part of him that told him to be great enough to wipe out every dragon and warmonger that had been the reason he had lost his brother and father in the first place. 

The part of him that felt like pride that formed as one woman started cheering. 

She began cheering. Through the din of discomfort and anger, one woman cheered, a child in her arms as he stared up, tears in her eyes. 

And while they were nowhere near enough to drown out the yelling, the cheers were enough for Hongjoong’s stomach to disappear as he realized this was real. 

He was king now. 

And these were his people. 

The people he was to protect. To lead. 

Mothers and fathers and children and workers… all with lives that he was now in charge of preserving against war and beast. 

Hongjoong felt something snap into place in his chest, and his fists clenched at his side, pressing bloody crescents into his palms. 

He was king, against all odds. 

He would not fail. Of this, Hongjoong was adamant. 

But time was a terrible enemy, and he had none of it. 

No time to learn, no time to figure it out, no time to get his bearings. 

Hongjoong went from a bastard prince, shoved into the darkness, to the king, standing in a war room and trying not to show how his hands shook. The men around him were battle-hardened and bitter, demanding orders for their troops to follow and Hongjoong had to leave during his first session, vomiting in the hallway as his skin turned clammy and his limbs shook too heavily to support him. 

Every life depended on him. 

All those men out there, fighting. Each one that died was on Hongjoong’s head. That was his burden. His curse. His weight. 

It never got easier. 

Hongjoong spent a full year stumbling his way through being a king, and while his experience and confidence grew, so did the threats against him as Hongjoong played chess with his soldiers’ lives. 

He had to protect them. He had to bring them home. He traveled to the camps and saw their sunken eyes and hopeless gazes that bore into him with bitter hatred as he walked through. And Hongjoong couldn’t bring himself to feel offended at the anger. 

They had every right to feel it. 

Hongjoong’s army won a single, war-changing battle, and the elation that reached the ends of the kingdom was tangible in the air that thrummed with excitement- parades and cheering in the streets and Hongjoong almost wanted to faint with relief. 

Maybe he could do this, he thought as he stared at the battle map. Maybe he could get his kingdom through this. 

Time. No time. 

Within 48 hours, his army had lost 1600 soldiers in an ambush attack when they had been under a flag of truce that had been ignored. 600 killed by the enemy army. The other 1000 burned by dragon fire. 

Hongjoong did not leave his chambers for three days. 

The darkness and despair that settled over him was enough to crush his chest in like a walnut shell finally giving under the pressure of a stone. 

Hongjoong stayed locked in his dark room, clutching at his chest that wasn’t drawing breath, staring in fear as he struggled to breathe through the weight of guilt and anguish that pounded against him- 

They could not win this. 

Hongjoong’s kingdom… His father’s kingdom… Once so mighty… It was going to perish. 

They could not fight man  _ and  _ beast. They didn’t have the resources, they didn’t have the manpower, they didn’t have the time- 

Within those three days, the entire east side of the kingdom was in flames. 

Hongjoong watched, with his very own eyes, as his kingdom burned before him. The people cried out to him, demanding answers and solutions… 

What could Hongjoong do? 

He could not reason with the enemy armies. 

He could not fight the dragons that attacked them. 

He was as powerless as any man could ever fear to be, standing at his window and watching the skies darken with smoke that only made a dark hatred rekindle in his heart. 

It fluttered out like a candle’s flame, though, too weak to sustain itself. 

What good would cursing those beasts do him? What would it fix? Who could it bring back?

Nothing and no one. Hongjoong stood alone, and with no hope. 

And it is in those moments… that man’s true desperation and intellect comes forth. 

A smart man will shine brightest when all hope has been lost… because those are the moments you must  _ make  _ things work. 

Hongjoong stared at the smoke filling the skies. 

He could not reason with enemy armies. And he could not beat them in a feat of strength. 

He could not beat the dragons in a feat of strength. He… Could he… 

Another section of land was lost the next day, and word returned that the enemy’s army was slowly pushing their troops back to their border- threatening to breach their nation within the next three days. 

Hongjoong rushed from his bedroom, bursting into the geographer’s study, making the poor man leap out of his chair, startled. 

“The dragons,” Hongjoong demanded- too crazed, too insane, too out of his mind- “Where are they?”

“S-Sire?”

“The closest dragon’s den that you know of!” Hongjoong demanded, hands shaking. “Where is it?” 

“Sire, what could you possibly-” 

“ _ Where _ ?”

“The Western forest!” He burst, flinching away and scrambling through his maps. “Deep within it- there’s a cave. It is the only dragon’s den within our kingdom’s borders- all others keep to the outskirts-” 

Hongjoong was already gone, racing to the stables and yelling for a stableboy to ready a horse for him. He grabbed his sword, his leather armor, mounting the steed before the boy had even finished tightening the saddle. 

“Sire, where are you-” 

Hongjoong was already gone. 

The skies burned with smoke and ash. 

His borders threatened to give way at any moment. 

His people cried out for peace. For protection. For safety. 

His land burned and his people slowly starved as food ran lower and lower. 

Truly, at this moment, no king had ever been so desperate for a solution. 

And it was from that desperation… that history was made. 

(Not quite yet, though. Patience.) 

Hongjoong never let his horse rest as he urged it to the forest, breaking into the forest trees and not even flinching as branches broke against his face and caught in his hair that flew in the wind they tore through. 

Like the moment he stepped out onto the balcony to address his people for the first time, Hongjoong had no sense of willing himself to move. 

He made no conscious decision to race towards the most dangerous place in his kingdom. But he flew like a falcon in a dive, regardless. Racing and blood thrumming, the deeper into the forest he went. 

The trees thickened, and his horse was forced to slow to weave between them, brambles and thorns catching on Hongjoong’s pants, digging into his skin and scratching his cheeks as he grit his teeth against it. 

It seemed an eternity later that the trees thinned a little, and Hongjoong urged his horse back into a sprint. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed- the sun blocked by the thicket of branches and trees surrounding them. 

They tore up the dirt as they ran, Hongjoong feeling his hands begin to shake as he wondered how much farther- 

His horse suddenly stopped, hooves tearing at the dirt to stop as if they had been racing towards a cliff’s edge. 

Regardless, it froze in place, just at a line of trees, and Hongjoong jerked forward, feeling himself become air-born in a sickening moment of free-fall before he slammed into the ground. 

Hard. 

He rolled like a ragdoll until he lay on the forest floor, body aching and almost afraid to move as the wind was knocked from him. His cheek pressed to soft dirt and dry leaves that covered the forest floor, the scent of earth and… something smokier filling his nostr-

Smoky? 

It wasn’t the horse whinnying in terror and fleeing that made Hongjoong move. 

Nor was it the massive tremor that shook the earth beneath him. 

It was pure instinct that made Hongjoong roll quickly, coming up on his hands and knees just as a massive-  _ massive-  _ clawed foot slammed into the ground only feet before him. 

Hongjoong scrambled backwards, eyes automatically tracking upward- trailing up the leg that was the size of him, up its scaly foreleg, across the broad chest, the endless neck- 

He threw himself flat on the ground as a tail suddenly swept the area- 

It was only at the lack of trees snapping in half that Hongjoong realized he was in a clearing, but it didn’t matter as he rolled again, narrowly missing another claw the size of his torso sinking deep into the earth he had been laying on- 

“Stop!” he cried, not even able to look at the beast as he frantically dodged its attacks- abandoning all his spar training in a life-and-death game that he had no hope of winning. 

The earth shook as it slammed its hindleg down, and Hongjoong lost his footing, falling to the ground- 

“ _ Stop _ !” 

It was a desperate cry that was ignored, the clawed paw pressing into his chest- 

But not piercing. 

Hongjoong fell backwards to avoid it, but the claw simply moved with him, pressing against his chest like a stalactite waiting to fall and run him through. 

But it didn’t press down. A pressure heavy enough to make his breathing heavy, but not enough to break the fragile bones beneath it. Hongjoong lay on the forest floor, chest heaving as a dragon’s claw rested atop him, and stared up into the glowing golden eyes that glared down at him with disgusted contempt. 

But he was not dead. 

Hongjoong didn’t dare breathe. 

The dragon was pitch black, its chest a beautiful array of deep silver scales that glinted like millions of daggers, waiting to fall and kill and pierce- 

It blew out an angry breath- a burst of flames dispersing into the air, and Hongjoong flinched at the burst of hot air that reached him. 

“ _ You’re very brave to face me with a mere sword at your side, human _ .” 

The dragon’s voice seemed to emanate from the air itself, rattling Hongjoong’s chest and making his teeth chatter together as he tried not to move under the pressure on his chest. The claw lifted a bit only to come back down, just as firm, almost as if the dragon were thinking. 

“ _ Or very foolish _ .” 

Hongjoong said nothing, trying not to let the fear swirling in his gut overtake him, trying to keep breathing- 

“ _ In fact… you must be the weakest looking dragon slayer I’ve ever seen… Certainly the most ill-prepared _ .” 

Hongjoong cracked his eyes open and found the dragon’s massive head peering down at him, making his eyes fly wide as he froze, as if petrified. 

The golden eyes blinked slowly, observing him. 

“ _ How embarrassing… to come all this way to kill me… and not even have a chance to draw your sword _ .” 

The claw on his chest pressed harder, and Hongjoong grit his teeth against the pressure that forced air out of his lungs. 

“D-Didn’t-” He squeaked around the heavy weight. 

“ _ Didn’t what _ ?” the dragon asked, almost sounding vindictively amused. “ _ Didn’t think you would be caught so easily? Didn’t think that dragon stood a chance?” _

Hongjoong felt skin break beneath the claw, biting back a cry of pain. 

“I- Didn’t come-  _ Ah! _ \- Not to kill-” 

Just as Hongjoong thought his bones would snap, the claw lifted, just enough to allow him to breathe. Hongjoong gasped in air, feeling damp blood stain his shirt from the little hole that had been created. 

“ _ Didn’t come to kill me _ ?” the dragon laughed darkly, making the very bones in Hongjoong’s body vibrate, and through pain-tainted eyes, Hongjoong saw its head tilt. “ _ Now, that’s a lie I’ve never heard someone use. Most are just smart enough to know it’s a useless attempt to spare their lives _ .” 

“I didn’t- didn’t come to kill you,” he panted in a rush, struggling to get his breath back. His fingers dug into the soft dirt of the forest floor. “I- I need help.” 

The silence of the clearing was deafening. And it was only in that moment that Hongjoong realized how truly foolish he was. 

A dragon. 

Helping a human? 

The thought wasn’t even laughable. It was  _ impossible _ . 

And Hongjoong had just doomed himself and his kingdom by not realizing it sooner. 

Hongjoong hadn’t even realized that’s what he had come here for, until it tumbled out of his mouth. And he was sure that it was only shock at his stupidity that the dragon hadn’t just crushed him like a berry beneath its claw. 

But it didn’t. It stared at Hongjoong, who didn’t know enough about dragons to be able to distinguish what its expression was. But Hongjoong currently was not dead. 

And he took the remaining few seconds he had left to burst out another sentence. 

“My kingdom-” He winced at the throbbing pain in his chest. “My kingdom- It’s under attack from every side- My army is about to be slaughtered by our enemies, dragons burn our land and people alike- My kingdom is going to fall-” 

“ _ And how is that my problem, human _ ?” the dragon demanded, Hongjoong wincing at the volume of his voice beating upon his ears. “ _ Despite my delight at another group of your kind being wiped from this pitiful planet- what delusions could you have possibly had that I would help your kind? _ ”

The pressure was back on his chest, Hongjoong crying out, hands leaping out to hold the claw- as if he could ever be strong enough to stop it. 

“ _ You- who have slaughtered my kind for centuries. Why should I not sit by and watch you and your people burn as retribution _ ?”

Hongjoong felt like his chest was going to cave in, his body screaming for him to do something- 

“ _ How could you imagine that I would have any other reaction than utter glee at the prospect of another kingdom falling to ruin at the pride and foolishness of its own king? _ ”

Hongjoong pushed against the claw weakly, scrambling for anything to lessen the pain- 

But when the tears finally slipped from his eyes, burning like white hot flames, they were not of pain. At least, not the pain crushing his chest. 

He had failed. 

He was going to die… at seventeen, a failure of a king and a human. Unable to even protect his people from the most basic of threats. He had failed. 

And they were all going to die. 

Every woman and child and elderly merchant. Every soldier and father and brother. 

Each of the people who had looked to Hongjoong. They were all going to die. And it was his fault. 

The dragon laughed at his anguish. “ _ How cute _ ,” he cooed, genuinely amused by his cries. “ _ Is this the part where you beg for you life, human _ ?” 

“ _ Ple-ease _ ,” he rasped, not air left to even speak, still pressing against the giant claw. “Please- Hel-  _ Help them- _ ” He cried out a strike of pain down his chest. “Please,” he begged, breathless. “My p- My people, they-  _ Gah-  _ they’re going- going to  _ die _ -” 

Between the tears and the pressure, he couldn’t draw breath, his head beginning to spin violently- 

Suddenly, he could breathe, air rushing into his lungs, making him choke as a miniscule release of pressure on his chest was applied. Hongjoong coughed, feeling his chest throb, almost feeling like he would vomit- 

Through blurred vision, Hongjoong saw the dragon staring at him. Eyes dark and… something. 

“ _ Foolish human _ ,” he said lowly, bones rattling. “ _ You went on a fool’s errand, coming here for my help _ .” 

And then, suddenly, the foot on his chest was gone, and Hongjoong rolled, coughing and hacking into the leaves and dirt that covered the forest floor, his chest burning and his head aching- 

“ _ Leave _ ,” the dragon rumbled, almost quiet compared to his earlier shouts. “ _ And be grateful I have better things to do than crush you where you lay _ .” 

Its head began to turn, feet shaking the earth where it stepped- 

“Wait-” Hongjoong rasped, still coughing, tears streaming from the pain. 

Suddenly, the massive eyes were directly in front of him, burning a violent gold. 

“ _ Are you stupid _ ?” the dragon roared, making Hongjoong clap his hands over his ears as they felt like they would burst. “ _ Are you truly going to remain after I showed you enough leniency to let you leave? Do you truly desire death so badly, human _ ?”

Hongjoong removed his hands, fist crushing the dirt of the forest floor- moss and leaves crushed in his grip. “My people and I are dead, regardless!” 

And truly, shouting at a dragon is something formally reserved for people desiring a slow death, but Hongjoong was faced with death on every side. The speed and form didn’t matter anymore. 

The dragone blew out flames that licked at Hongjoong- but didn’t quite burn before they dispersed. Hongjoong flinched, but forced himself to his feet. 

“My people will die!” he shouted, chest begging him to stop speaking so loudly, but he didn’t care anymore. 

Desperation truly makes a brave man. 

Or a stupid one. 

“My kingdom, all the people within it-” His voice failed, but he pressed on. “I was supposed to protect them!” He cried angrily. “I  _ promised  _ to protect them- And I’ve failed in that. I  _ cannot  _ let them die for my shortcomings! I  _ will not _ ! You must help me-  _ Please _ !”

There was a beat of silence where Hongjoong could not allow hope to break through. 

And then, slowly, the dragon’s head turned away once more. “ _ Leave, human _ ,” he rumbled. “ _ And do not speak to me again, if you wish to live. Go die with your people as you deserv- _ ” 

Hongjoong rushed around the dragon, standing before it’s face once more, the dragon glaring at his sudden reappearance, mouth opening as if to snap him up whole- 

Hongjoong dropped to his knees. 

Whether it was choice or his limbs giving out on him… the King fell before the Dragon. 

The dragon paused, and Hongjoong’s chest tightened with the force of his plea. He clasped his hands. 

“Please…” There was no more strength left to shout. There was only a desperate whisper as more tears were shed, watering the earth of the forest he knelt on. “Please,” he begged in a quiet whisper. “They do not deserve to die… None of them… They are not the ones who have hurt your kind… They have done nothing.” 

Hongjoong had yet to be disintegrated. 

He clasped his hands tightly, staring up at the beast. “If you must let someone die… Then kill me,” he rasped. “Kill me, but you must help them. They stand no chance- All the children and mothers… the families… Please… I cannot let them die…” 

Hongjoong couldn’t quite see the dragon through the blur of tears, but he still was not dead. 

“ _ You would let me kill you… and trust me to still aid them _ ?” the dragon sneered, but his voice was quieter. 

Hongjoong swallowed, his vision clearing as he blinked away the burning tears. “We are doomed, regardless,” Hongjoong rasped. “I have nothing left to lose.” 

“ _ And I am to simply ignore the years of terror your kind have inflicted upon my brothers _ ?”

“No,” Hongjoong said quickly, throat burning. “But place the blame of it upon me. Not my people. They have done nothing-” 

“ _ They have killed hundreds of us _ !”

“And you have killed  _ thousands  _ of us!” Hongjoong shouted, throat aching, some of that hatred flickering back in his chest. “Your kind killed my  _ brother-  _ The only person in this world who ever treated me as a  _ human- _ ” 

His voice broke, and Hongjoong lowered his head, prepared for the hellfire to burn him. 

But it didn’t. There was no burning. 

And when he looked back up, the dragon stared at him. “ _ You would ask aid from those that killed someone so precious _ ?” It was almost a taunt. A scorn. A condemnation. 

Hongjoong hated himself for coming to this point. Asking assistance from the enemy. But… 

“I lost a brother… And a man I should call a father,” he murmured, staring at his hands. “I cannot... let another experience such a loss. I swore it…” He looked up. “To preserve the innocence of all those who want their brothers to return, I am begging you.” 

“ _ Where is your  _ pride _ , human _ ?” he sneered in disgust. 

“A mistake is not allowed  _ pride _ ,” Hongjoong pressed angrily. “I was a bastard child who was never supposed to  _ exist _ . I was not allowed to hold my head high. I was not allowed to wallow in the height of my status- I was forced to lower my head and walk the halls like a ghost.” A bitter bile clung to the back of his throat. “I have no pride. Only a position I was never supposed to possess, and a desire to protect the people I was suddenly placed in charge of.” 

Why was he not dead yet? Surely, this had to be the longest a dragon would have gone without killing a human. 

“ _ What guarantee do I have that your kind do not simply kill me once I’ve served my purpose _ ?” the dragon snapped. 

Hongjoong flinched. “As much guarantee as I have that would not simply kill my people, regardless of whether you help us or not.” 

A snort of fire nearly burned his face, but he flinched and it never reached him. When he looked back up at the dragon, he bore down on Hongjoong, making it seem as if he could see straight through him. 

“ _ And what, human, could you possibly give me in return for this aid _ ?”

Was he… truly considering helping? 

“Anything,” Hongjoong burst breathlessly. “Whatever it is that I can give you-” 

“ _ I don’t want to know what I want. I want to know what you are willing to give me _ .” 

Hongjoong floundered, knowing that this moment was the one that hinged everything. The life and death of his kingdom, all based on what Hongjoong was willing to give this beast. 

He swallowed his fear. “Safety,” he whispered, wetting his lips that tasted of dirt. 

The dragon didn’t even blink, staring him down. 

Hongjoong was going to vomit. “If you help my people… I can guarantee you that my kingdom will become a haven for your kind.” The words continued to tumble out, outside of his control. “Hunting will be outlawed, and those that have killed will be persecuted. Your kind will be able to find safety within the boundaries of my kingdom, and I will make active efforts to convince the surrounding kingdoms to follow suite.” 

Hongjoong’s heart was going to beat out of his chest.

“I will make you a haven of my kingdom… if you will just help me preserve it.” 

The seconds between his speech and the moment when the dragon next spoke felt like years weighing down Hongjoong’s shoulders, threatening to make him buckle. 

_ Please _ . 

But then the dragon snorted- white hot flames setting the leaves aflame- and Hongjoong flinched once more as he slammed a foot into the dirt, shaking the earth and making Hongjoong catch himself as he looked back up at the beast- 

Pitch black wings suddenly burst from his side, the gust of wind as they expanded across the clearing knocking Hongjoong to his side, making him dig fingers into the dirt to keep from being blown away. He grit his teeth once the wind died, and he stared up at the dragon standing at full height- towering and wings expanded, making him seem impossibly large- 

“ _ Understand, human _ !” He roared, making Hongjoong’s ears bleed. “ _ That the torment I will inflict upon your kingdom will make you beg that I had ignored your pleas, if you should betray me _ !”

Hongjoong stared in open shock and disbelief. 

The dragon… He was going to- 

Hongjoong nodded quickly, getting to his feet. “I swear to honor my promise,” he said, probably too quiet for the dragon to really hear. 

Golden lamps of burning anger and fire stared down at him as the dragon lowered its head once more, Hongjoong stepping away, but then its neck was sitting just at Hongjoong’s waist, and the dragon’s head turned back. 

“ _ I don’t have time for you and your useless, little legs. Climb on, but know that it will cost me nothing to simply let you fall from the sky _ .” 

Hongjoong balked, swallowing a burst of vomit that threatened to fall. “You- Ride you?”

“ _ I do not have all day to humor you _ ,” he snapped. “ _ Climb on now, or I leave you to die out here _ .” 

Hongjoong hesitated, but approached, the neck just a bit too high to mount like a horse. He touched the dragon slowly. 

He was warm. Each scale, the size of Hongjoong’s hand, and heated as if it had been sitting on a fire. He swallowed, waiting for him to make a wrong move. He hooked his hands into the space between the scales, placing his foot in one space and swinging himself up. 

He had no sooner found a handhold for himself than the massive wings on either side of him rushed downwards with the strength of a hurricane, thrusting them into the air and plastering Hongjoong to the warm scales beneath him. He tried to scream, but nothing came out as he simply dug every part of himself in, trying not to fall- 

Finally, they stopped rising, and Hongjoong cracked his eyes open, gazing out at the tops of trees that sat like play-things beneath them. 

And Hongjoong’s breath was stolen for another reason entirely. 

“ _ Thank you _ ,” Hongjoong yelled over the winds, hoping the dragon could hear. “I could never repay you- never in a million lifetimes.” 

It almost seemed as if he was going to be ignored, but then the dragon’s voice echoed in the air. 

“ _ Keep your end of the bargain, human _ ,” he said bitterly. “ _ I have no qualms about crushing you beneath my foot and burning your kingdom to the ground. Prove me wrong about your kind, and then we will speak of gratitude and repayment _ .” 

King Hongjoong became the first person to ride a dragon into battle. 

However disappointingly, this battle and the actions that took place around it, are not what our story is about. It is not a story war between enemies. 

But of a war between companions. 

And these two rode into a battle, eyes turning towards the heavens and believing they had entered hell. 

A dragon that smited the enemy within a day- the armies retreating and fleeing back to their nation after seeing the massive beast chasing them with the King atop it. 

At the end of the battle, the dragon returned Hongjoong to his kingdom, landing deep within the woods, neck swooping low to allow him to dismount, a thousand emotions and adrenaline shooting through the king’s body as he realized his kingdom was safe. 

“Thank you,” he said, breathless. “Thank you- I can never repay-” 

“Protect my kind,” the dragon said darkly. “Do that, and I may not regret aiding you.” 

“I swear on my life,” Hongjoong assured him, fist clenching. “Will your kind still attack?” 

The dragon tilted his head, glaring and tossing his wings carelessly. “I cannot speak for them,” the dragon said darkly. “But I can spread word of what you have promised.” 

Hongjoong inclined his head. “Thank you. I can never repay the service you have given me.” 

“Just fulfill your side of our bargain.” 

King Hongjoong’s kingdom became the first to outlaw dragon hunting, spreading outrage and shock across the nations and within his borders. 

But Hongjoong kept his promise. Resolutely and without mercy. 

Any action taken against any dragon would be met with swift punishment that was not negotiable. 

“These beasts are not mindless!” Hongjoong told his people who rioted, quieting at his appearance. “They are reasonable- and this one aided us at our darkest hour! Would you kill that which you owe your life to? Your safety? Your very kingdom?” 

Punishment was resolute. And it seemed almost as if the law made no difference- dragon’s were still hated and scorned. 

But, one thing did change… 

The dragons’ attacks lessened. Almost stopped completely- only three fields burning at all in the several fortnights that passed. 

“Do you not see?” Hongjoong demanded. “I swore to him that our land would be their haven! They have ceased their attacks- If you want peace to come, you must show them the same courtesy!” 

Hongjoong’s nobility shouldered the responsibility of enforcing the rule. 

Hongjoong did not see the dragon after that day of the battle. He thought of him often, though, looking to the Western woods and wondering what he was doing. 

But one night, there was a massive wind that blew open the doors to his balcony, sending his parchments and quills flying across the room. 

He shot up, whipping around towards the balcony, prepared for claws to tear through stone like wet sand- 

But through the open doors, he saw a man standing on his balcony. 

Hongjoong gripped the sword at his side, approaching slowly, heart pounding. 

The man leaned leisurely against the railing, arms crossed and eyes fading from the glowing gold to a deep earthen brown ringed with lighter shades. 

Hongjoong’s hand fell from his sword. “You-” 

“You cannot kill me any easier in this form than my other,” the man assured him, expression dark and sunken and bitter. But not… angry. Not aggressive. 

Hongjoong felt like he was falling. “You- You’re human.”

“We all are,” the man said darkly, glaring at Hongjoong. But not glaring. Almost as if he didn’t know how to look any other way, but that he wasn’t truly upset. “We rarely take it on. Too vulnerable.” 

Hongjoong wet his lips, throat closing up in shock at that fact that this man- dressed in dark leathers and thick boots- was the dragon who had aided them. 

“Why…” Hongjoong looked him over again and again, not quite believing his eyes. “Why- You-” 

The silence between them stretched thick and heavy. 

The man peered at him through dark, shaggy hair hanging in his face. “You kept your promise.” 

Hongjoong blinked. “I- I’ve tried to keep up with all those who have threatened you-” 

“Only a handful of my kind have been attacked,” the man said darkly. “But none killed within your borders.” His eyes traced over Hongjoong, just as burning as the golden orbs of before. “You truly kept your word.” 

“I told you I would,” Hongjoong replied quickly. “I swore to you.” 

“A human’s word means next to nothing to me,” the man said sharply, eyes flashing. “I waited for the first dragon to die, and I planned on coming here to burn your kingdom to ashes.” Silence. “But none have been killed. You kept your word.” 

“You kept yours,” Hongjoong said thickly. “You saved my people. Thank you.” 

“You truly should stop thanking me as if I did it from the goodness of my heart,” the man scoffed. 

“Then why did you do it?” Hongjoong asked quietly, swallowing. “Why did you help me in the first place?” 

The dragon truly had no reason to. Not really. 

His eyes darkened, even as they glowed a tinge of gold. “How should I know?” he scoffed. “A bug asked for my help, and I gave it. Be grateful and leave it.” 

That was good enough for Hongjoong. He didn’t need to know the why. 

“Regardless… thank you.” He rolled his lips. “Will you let me know if the dragons are bothered? I- I cannot keep track of them all, and there are many who sneak under our law- But would you inform me when dragons are attacked? And I promise to find those responsible.” 

The man narrowed his eyes. “Do you hate dragons for what they’ve done to your family and kingdom?” Simple. Quiet. Inquisitive. 

Hongjoong felt like he had just been hit round the head with a stone. But he said nothing, staring at the man quietly. His jaw flexed. “I would be lying if I said no,” Hongjoong confessed. 

“Then why help us?” 

Hongjoong sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I can tell you as easily as you could tell me why you helped me. I do not know,” He assured him. “But… You aided me. And I promised to aid you, as well.” 

“Does it not make you sick? Protecting those that killed your family?” It almost seemed as if he was trying to bait Hongjoong. 

Hongjoong was too tired for that. He stared at his boots, breathing out low and long. “Maybe it would, if I gave myself time to think on it,” He admitted. “However, I have been too busy to examine the morality of my actions. I knew that I could only think of one option to save my people and I took it. If it saved me people… I cannot imagine it to be a very erroneous decision.” 

Hongjoong glanced up, and the man didn’t move. “I will inform you if any dragons are harmed.” 

The two of them were living in a very careful balance that had never needed to be tested before. 

Each of them, holding the other at only their word, half-waiting for them to slip and break the truce. Neither intended to… but how could they know the intent of the other? 

So, they tiptoed and nodded slowly, speaking careful and averting their eyes when they stared for too long. 

“Thank you.” 

“Stop thanking me, human.” 

“I could never thank you enough,” Hongjoong said firmly. “If you truly wished to stop my thanks, you would have to stop performing actions which warrant it.” 

“Would you rather I roast you, human?” 

“Hongjoong.” 

The man drew up short, his eyes flickering towards confusion at the sudden break in conversation. “What?” 

Hongjoong tried not to flinch at the sharp word. “My name… it’s Hongjoong. Not ‘human’.” 

The man looked as if he couldn’t believe Hongjoong audacity, and then he snorted (no fire exiting his nostrils) and shook his head, as if he was amused. “I suppose you humans place great importance on your names. You say them all day long, I’ve noticed.” 

Hongjoong gazed over the man- seemingly totally human and normal to all the world. But within him… was a beast. “Do you not have names?” Hongjoong asked, something about the notion almost a little sad. 

He looked up through rough hair. “Oh, we have names,” he assured him. “We simply have no use of them. Not like you humans who base your lives around them.” 

“What is your name?” Hongjoong questioned. “However useless it may be…” 

The man barked what might have been a laugh. “What have you done to deserve my name, human?”

“Hongjoong,” he replied flatly. The man rolled his eyes. “And I figured if we were to be working together, I would benefit from having something to call you other than ‘dragon’.” 

“Such is the stupidity of humans.” 

Hongjoong pressed his lips together at the difficulty he was presenting. It was much easier to become annoyed when he appeared as a normal man and not a monstrous beast. “I would like to know your name,” He said earnestly. “At least, to know who to name within my own mind when I thank you for what you’ve done.” 

That seemed to make the man pause, his body falling as still as a dark lake, not a ripple or shift in sight as he gazed at Hongjoong, almost daring him to move. His eyes suddenly fell to the side. “You humans are ridiculously simple,” he muttered. “So obsessed in your names and gratitude, even when it’s been rejected.” 

“Simpleton or not,” Hongjoong said firmly. “I would still be honored to know your name.” 

The stars and moon moved on while they stood there on his balcony. 

“Seonghwa.” 

Hongjoong started at the sudden word after so long in silence. “W-What-”

“My name is Seonghwa,” he said sharply. “Since you are so obsessed with knowing it.” 

And Hongjoong… he felt something warm in his chest. Almost like accomplishment. 

Almost like hope. 

“Seonghwa,” he repeated back quietly. A smile lifted his lips. “Thank you, Seonghwa.” 

The man-  _ Seonghwa-  _ simply scoffed, shaking his head. “Congratulations, you’ve gotten what you wanted. And I am officially tired of being here.” 

He turned, placing a boot on the railing and standing atop it. 

Hongjoong lurched forward. “What-” 

Seonghwa had already stepped off the edge, Hongjoong crying out and racing to the edge only to be blasted back by a tornado of wind shoving against him as a pitch black dragon suddenly raced into the sky, blending in with the shadows and darkness, and disappearing before Hongjoong could even properly get back to his feet. 

He stared off after him for what felt like hours, his breath refusing to return. 

Seonghwa. 

King Hongjoong became the first kingdom to create an alliance with the dragon race. 

The young King had almost completely eradicated the hunting and attacking of dragons within his kingdom by the time he held his 20th birthday. 

Dragon attacks on his kingdom fell to almost none. Of course, every species will have those that let anger and bitterness rule their hearts, and some dragons continued to wreak havoc on the crops and villages. But do you know what happened to those dragons that did? 

Other dragons fought them off. 

Within half a decade, Hongjoong’s kingdom had become their haven, and they would not let those bitter and angry dragons ruin that. It was the one place in the world they were safe. 

And they flocked to it. The number of dragons within his kingdom grew exponentially over the years. 

You could look up anywhere and see a dozen dragons flying through. Shelters and caves were arranged for them, places to rest and live among the hillsides and barren fields. 

People grew used to seeing dragons laying among their crops or circling their villages. 

And Hongjoong looked out on his kingdom from his balcony and he… he felt pride. 

Seonghwa returned every now and then- either to report an issue or simply to inform that no issues had been found. Hongjoong no longer jumped when the ground shook and his door burst open to signal the man’s arrival. 

Seonghwa remained as dark and aloof as he had always been- short tempered and brief. Hongjoong, however, grew to smile with each appearance of the other to bring him news of his kingdom. 

“Wipe the smile off of your face,” Seonghwa scoffed as Hongjoong came out to the balcony. “You look like a child.” 

“How could you want me to be crestfallen and silent?” Hongjoong demanded, his body feeling light enough to float. “We are finally reaching an age of peace! For my people and your own.” 

Seonghwa glanced at him from the side of his eyes. “They are not my people,” Seonghwa said quietly. “I do not rule the dragons, as you do your people, I am merely one of them.” 

“You are a part of them, so they are your people,” Hongjoong said firmly. His smile softened. “This is all possible because you aided me. Thank-” 

“Thank me again, and I’ll tear your head off its shoulders,” Seonghwa snapped, glaring at him. 

Hongjoong simply shook his head. This would be where Seonghwa turned and leapt from the balcony to return to his little cave. But Seonghwa didn’t move, simply staring out on the kingdom darkly. 

Hongjoong glanced behind himself at the little tray of food waiting at his desk. “Would you like to actually come within the castle?” he offered, gesturing within his chambers. 

Seonghwa actually laughed (more like a scoff, but Hongjoong had learned that’s what it was). “There may be peace among our people, but it is another matter entirely to be inviting me within your castle.” He shook his head. “No, Hongjoong. This is where our two worlds end,” he assured him. “They do not mix.” 

Seonghwa turned away, going to raise himself up on the balcony, but Hongjoong rushed forward, wrapping a hand around his wrist. “Wait,” he said quickly, holding him back. 

Seonghwa’s skin was unnaturally warm. Like holding a log out of the fire. He turned to Hongjoong sharply, glaring as he ripped his arm away. Hongjoong let him take it away. 

“Who said that?” Hongjoong demanded. “Who said our worlds cannot mix? They said we could not coexist, didn’t they? Are we not currently sitting among peace? Have the two of us not risked everything to trust each other and make peace? If I could trust you to aid a human, can I not trust you within my own home?” 

“What we have is not  _ trust _ ,” Seonghwa spat, and Hongjoong winced. “All we are doing is sitting around and waiting for the other to betray us. And that is all our two worlds can  _ ever  _ have.” 

“Perhaps in your mind, you simply wait for me to fail,” Hongjoong snapped strongly, stepping forward. “But you have given me reason to trust you, and I do. For this, at least, I can trust you.” 

“You trust me?” Seonghwa scoffed, cocking his head. 

“I do,” Hongjoong answered fearlessly. 

Seonghwa hummed. “We’ll see how long that lasts.” 

Hongjoong frowned, but suddenly, there was a tug on his arm and he was free falling. 

Air lost in his lungs, he stared up at his balcony that raced away, Seonghwa standing atop the railing. Hongjoong did not scream. He didn’t really have time to. All he thought about was how much farther he had before he hit the ground. 

He stared at Seonghwa standing there. 

What was his goal? Truly, he could not have built such a world and then ruined it by letting Hongjoong die by his hands. If he wanted Hongjoong dead, he would not need to do it with human hands. 

Hongjoong hit something hard, but it wasn’t the dirt. It was much too warm. 

He scrambled for a handhold in Seonghwa’s scales as the dragon tore high into the sky, Hongjoong doing all he could to hold on until they leveled back out. Hongjoong breathed heavily into his scales, resting at the junction of his neck and shoulders as they hovered in the air. 

“ _ Do you see how foolish your trust is _ ?” Seonghwa demanded. “ _ Do you see how easily you could die by my hand? How easily I could end your life?”  _

Hongjoong slowly sat up, hands shaking a little from adrenaline, but when he spoke, his voice did not shiver. “Do you see that you didn’t?” 

Seonghwa’s head turned, glaring at Hongjoong who simply shook his head. 

“Everything is able to be killed by everything,” Hongjoong said firmly. “It is your choice that creates trust. You could have killed me back in that forest, but you didn’t. You could have killed me at any point afterwards… but you didn’t.” 

“ _ So you conclude that I will never kill you _ ?” Seonghwa hissed. 

“If you didn’t kill me when I was nothing more than a bug wandering into your den, then I can conclude that you will not. Not until our trust fails. And that will not happen. I will not allow my end of the bargain to fail.” 

The night was quiet around them. 

Seonghwa dove back towards the ground, stopping just at the balcony and allowing Hongjoong to jump off. He flew off without a word.

King Hongjoong’s land became the Dragon Kingdom. 

No one told them to, but in return for their safety, the dragons protected the walls of the kingdom, creating an impenetrable defense that lead to prosperity for his kingdom. 

Dragons are much too proud to be called “pets”. However… an argument could be made for “companions.” Certain villages gained the favor of certain dragons, by feeding and speaking with them- a practice that was becoming more commonplace. 

Hongjoong was never foolish enough to say it aloud, but he enjoyed thinking of Seonghwa as the castle’s companion. 

“I truly do despite you and your kind,” Seonghwa muttered as Hongjoon extended yet another invitation to enter the castle. 

“You could stop coming,” Hongjoong said fearlessly. “Each time you’ve come, there’s no news. You only come to tell me there is nothing to tell me.” His lips quirked. “I would almost be tempted to think that you simply enjoyed my company.” 

“You are the most annoying creature I have had the misfortune of meeting in centuries,” Seonghwa said ruthlessly. 

Hongjoong only laughed. “I would be decidedly less annoying if you simply actually came in for a simple meal-” 

“If I come in, will you cease your  _ relentless  _ annoyances?” Seonghwa demanded. 

“Yes,” Hongjoong replied immediately. 

Seonghwa sighed heavily, glaring at Hongjoong with glowing eyes. Hongjoong simply stepped aside, gesturing for Seonghwa to enter through the balcony doorway. 

“I do not understand your obsession with getting me inside your castle,” Seonghwa muttered as he entered into the bedroom. “Simply allow me to exist in my world, and stay within your own.” 

Hongjoong followed with a small smile. “Perhaps I want you to come into my world.” 

Seonghwa stopped by the desk, turning to Hongjoong with dark eyes. “Why would you want that?” he demanded. 

Hongjoong shrugged where he perched on his bed. “Perhaps I’m tired of having two worlds- yours and mine. Perhaps I simply wish for there to be one world… where we both exist.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes were hard as obsidian. “Then I would name you the most foolish, ignorant human I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.” 

Hongjoong’s grin widened. “Then I suppose I am in luck that dragons have no need of names.” 

The shock that flitted across Seonghwa’s face was enough to last Hongjoong for  _ weeks _ . 

Seonghwa entered into Hongjoong’s world. 

It began now, with Seonghwa landing on his balcony and stepping inside before Hongjoong had even finished gathering his papers back up, smiling as the other entered, expression stern and uninterested as he casted his gaze upon Hongjoong’s things. 

And then Hongjoong would call for some food to be brought, and he and Seonghwa would sit at his table, discussing the on-goings of the kingdom. 

And sometimes, just sitting in silence as Seonghwa sipped tea and ate his meal with surprising delicateness. 

He never went farther into the castle than Hongjoong’s chambers, and Hongjoong did not attempt to make him. This was enough. A large enough step to last them for a long moment. 

But time… was a terrible enemy to make. And once more, Hongjoong found himself with none at the most inopportune of moments. 

Seonghwa and he were sitting, discussing a rising unrest in the outer kingdoms, when a messenger burst into Hongjoong’s study. 

“Sire!” The man stumbled to a stop, breathing heaving, Seonghwa sitting up further as his eyes darkened. “There are dragons battling on the outskirts! The villages are left in ruin-” 

Hongjoong and Seonghwa stood at the same moment, the dragon already racing towards the balcony. 

“Seonghwa!” Hongjoong called after him, voice strong and commanding, making the other glance back as he climbed the railing. “Take me with you- I will never make it fast enough on horse-” 

Seonghwa did not question what business a king had going to a dragon fight. 

“Hurry,” Seonghwa snapped, leaping from the balcony. 

Hongjoong followed, only feeling a moment of free fall before he hit hard, warm scales, catching his fingers in their grooves as Seonghwa tore across the sky, giving Hongjoong little time to get his bearings. 

“ _ You do that with a very large amount of idiocy _ ,” Seonghwa said as he rocketed forward. “ _ You did not even look- _ ” 

“I knew you would catch me,” Hongjoong said without hesitation. “You have every other time.” 

“ _ Fool _ ,” Seonghwa muttered, and the rest of their short flight was left in silence. 

Hongjoong rode Seonghwa only a handful of times, but he quickly came to feel as if he rode the dragon with more ease than a steed. (And, truthfully, Hongjoong felt something like excitement and adrenaline racing through his blood each time. Something powerful. From him and Seonghwa both.) 

They heard the dragons before they saw them. 

Hongjoong looked through the air blasting passed them, hearing raucous and violent roars that vibrated the air. “Do you know of any discourse between dragons?” Hongjoong questions, even though he knew Seonghwa should have mentioned it in their meetings, if he had. 

But Seonghwa did not answer, and Hongjoong frowned, leaning to see without falling off. “Seonghwa?” he asked expectantly. “Have you heard anything of grudges forming between drag-” 

“ _ Does it truly matter _ ?” Seonghwa demanded angrily. “ _ They are battling now- what use could you have- _ ” 

“We could have prevented it!” Hongjoong burst, frowning. “Did you truly know something of this and not tell me of it? Did you truly conceal something like this from me?”

“ _ Prevented it how _ ?” Seonghwa snapped, turning back to glare at him with blazing gold. “ _ What could you do against the rage of dragons _ ?  _ There will always be those who hate your kingdom. _ ” 

“We could have protected the dragons better!” Hongjoong yelled. “We could have set up more defense at the borders- we could have had our own people looking out-” 

_ SCREEEEEE-  _

Hongjoong tensed at the loud cry as he saw a dragon fall from the sky, smoke rising from its body- 

He felt bile in his throat. “Was that… an enemy?”

Seonghwa’s voice was darker than ink seeping into parchment, stained and black. “ _ No _ .” 

Hongjoong held the scales tighter, feeling them almost cut his skin. “Which aren’t of our kingdom?”

“ _ It is not  _ our  _ king- _ ” 

“ _ Seonghwa _ !” Hongjoong snapped. “Which are the dragons of our kingdom?” 

“ _ The green and the blue _ ,” Seonghwa bit back, bitter and angry. “The other three are from the North.” 

“Why are they attacking?” Hongjoong demanded, reaching for his sword while keeping a firm grip on Seonghwa. 

“ _ You _ ,” Seonghwa said with such finality that Hongjoong felt his mouth click shut. “ _ I am going to put you on the ground, I cannot be keeping track of you- _ ” 

“Do not be bothered by me,” Hongjoong assured him firmly, drawing his sword. “Simply get me above one of them.” 

Seonghwa looked back at him. “ _ Have you lost your senses _ ?”

“You keep telling me I have,” Hongjoong muttered. “Get me above them, and I can get beneath their armor. At least to distract-” 

“ _ From a hundred feet up- _ ” 

“Now is not the time to pretend to care about me, Seonghwa!” Hongjoong snapped angrily, unfearing of the other’s wrath. “One dragon is already dead- get me above the others before another dies as well!” 

There was a terse silence, and Hongjoong was sure that Seonghwa was going to simply buck him off. 

Instead, they shot straight up into the air, Hongjoong plastering himself to Seonghwa’s neck until they leveled out, and they flew above the height of the battle. 

Hongjoong did not look to the ground- only focusing on the red dragon that snapped at the neck of the other, white hot flame licking the dragon’s scales, though it did not act as if that harmed it. 

“ _ Your kingdom will blame me for your death _ ,” Seonghwa warned him. 

“Then I will not die,” Hongjoong muttered, not tearing his eyes away as they flew directly over the red dragon. “Take care of one of the others.” 

“You are a fool-” 

Hongjoong jumped. 

Several terrifying, agonizing seconds of free-fall passed before Hongjoong landed at the neck of the dragon, slamming into its hot scales painfully, and immediately hooking his hands into the crevices. 

The beast roared- whipping around in the air at the sudden weight on its back, tail thrashing and wings beating wildly- 

Hongjoong thrust his sword in between two scales, not stopping until the hilt was buried deep in the dragon’s neck. 

It shrieked in pain, rearing back, and Hongjoong wrapped both hands around the handle of his sword as his legs were torn away from the dragon’s body, leaving him dangling only by his sword lodged in the other’s neck. 

He grit his teeth, desperate not to fall to his death as he saw Seonghwa aiding the two dragons- one of which seemed to be having trouble flying, it’s wing bleeding slightly from a small tear at the end. 

Hongjoong looked at the wings of the dragon he dangled from, beating furiously, and decided that one stupid decision deserved another. 

He managed to brace a foot against a scale, lifting himself enough to rip the sword out of the dragon’s neck, and kicked off, frantically hoping he didn’t miss- 

The leathery skin of the dragon’s wing hit Hongjoong in the side, and before it could launch him through the air he stabbed the sword wildly, piercing the thin skin. 

The force of the wing’s hit naturally shoved Hongjoong through the air, dragging the sword along the length of its wing, tearing it open- 

The dragon shrieked and curled the wing in to its side as its one wing beat rapidly to slow it’s fall, but there was no way that dragon would be able to keep itself in the sky. 

There was now, also, no way for Hongjoong to keep himself in the sky. 

Air rushed passed Hongjoong, and suddenly he was staring up at the Seonghwa and one of their own dragons facing against the one remaining enemy. Hongjoong didn’t know where the third enemy dragon had gone, but at this point it didn’t matter. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ !” 

Hongjoong was falling rapidly with a dragon that would certainly survive the fall better than Hongjoong’s weak little human body would. 

The pitch black dragon turned slowly, as if confused by what it heard, and Hongjoong saw something in his unreadable expression shift as he abandoned the remaining dragons, racing towards Hongjoong at a speed that would have broken Hongjoong’s neck if he had been riding him- 

Hongjoong felt branches break beneath him, crying out as they beat against his body-

And then suddenly he was air born again, breath leaving him as his body suddenly changed directions as Seonghwa curled his claws around Hongjoong, carrying him within his claws. 

Hongjoong expected him to return to the battle, but Seonghwa simply sent a blast of green fire that Hongjoong felt almost burn his skin from the heat of it, and there was a dying sound of a dragon’s cry. Hongjoong assumed that was the dragon he had fallen with being taken care of. 

And then, they were lowering themselves to the ground rapidly, Hongjoong practically tumbling out of Seonghwa’s claws as he hit the ground, rolling and groaning at his aching body- 

And then suddenly hands were grabbing him, hauling him up forcefully, and Hongjoong blinked away the spinning of his head to stare at Seonghwa’s human form that had eyes of molten gold staring at him angrily. 

“What did I  _ tell you _ ?” Seonghwa snapped, his hands gripping Hongjoong’s arms as he moved, checking over Hongjoong’s body. “What in all the kingdoms were you  _ thinking _ ? You absolute  _ fool-  _ You could have gotten yourself killed- What if I had not heard you call? What if I could not reach you? Had you even thought of what you might do?” he demanded, eyes burning into Hongjoong’s skin. 

Hongjoong, however, staring back fearlessly. “No, I did not think on it,” he replied shortly. “Because there is nothing I could have done, when I fell. I had nothing to save me from that but you.” 

Seonghwa scoffed, releasing Hongjoong roughly. “So you simply threw yourself into battle without a plan- knowing you would face an obstacle you could not surmount?” he snapped angrily. “You simply threw yourself into a death sentence?” 

Hongjoong glared, defensive and convinced he had done the right thing. “I was attempting to help, as I had promised you. Regardless of whether I lost my life in that process or not, I promised to do everything in my power to protect your kind. Even if that meant throwing myself into a fight I could never win.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes flashed as his fists clenched at his side. “And  _ this  _ is why bastards were never meant to lead.” 

Now, here is where we reach an interesting point in the life of Kim Hongjoong. 

Because this is where certain things come to light. When one is hurt… one realizes certain things about the person who hurt them, and about themselves who had just been hurt. 

And Kim Hongjoong realized this about Seonghwa, in that moment: That he had come to think of Seonghwa as the first friend he had ever had, aside from his brother. 

That he had come to believe that Seonghwa was perhaps one of the best of his species, for everything he had done for Hongjoong and his kingdom. 

That he had formed a gratitude even greater than the one he extended to Seonghwa for aiding his kingdom, in the form of quietly thanking him for seeing Hongjoong… as Hongjoong. 

Seonghwa had never once brought up or acknowledged the bastard that Hongjoong was. And that, more than anything, had lifted Hongjoong’s spirits to impossible heights. Because Seonghwa was the only person, aside from his brother once more, to not care or place merit on Hongjoong’s status. 

He had simply seen Hongjoong for Hongjoong. 

Or so he had thought. 

And Kim Hongjoong realized this about himself, in that moment: That he had slowly, slowly been placing more and more of himself in Seonghwa. That he had been, over time, begun thinking of the two of them as closer and closer. As friends, before they were allies. 

And that that had been a mistake. 

Kim Hongjoong realized this, in that moment: that Seonghwa was truly no better than any other human or beast. 

(And although Kim Hongjoong did not know it, Seonghwa came to this realization after the spiteful words had been thrown: that for the first time in their acquaintanceship- he had managed to truly hurt Kim Hongjoong.) 

Hongjoong’s expression hardened. “Of course,” he said shortly, turning away from Seonghwa with something dark burning in his heart. 

“Hongjoong-” He felt a hot hand brush his arm, and he jerked it away, turning his own burning eyes back on Seonghwa. 

“ _ Do not  _ touch me,” he snapped, teeth gritted. 

Seonghwa’s expression was as unreadable as if he were in his dragon form- a million things dancing across his hard expression that Hongjoong didn’t care to attempt to decipher. 

Hongjoong stormed through the forest, leaving Seonghwa behind. 

“Will you walk the entire way to your castle?” Seonghwa called, almost taunting. “It is miles away!”

“You need not concern yourself with the fate of a bastard,  _ dragon, _ ” Hongjoong threw over his shoulder before quickening his pace and letting the trees swallow him. 

His body ached. His heart ached. 

Hongjoong walked for what felt like hours before reaching a small hut on the edge of a field. He asked for their horse, and promised to send compensation for it (not that the people really minded- he was the  _ king _ ).

Hongjoong rode towards the direction of the castle, anger fueling him even when the sun set and the moon rose. 

It was late into the night when Hongjoong reached the castle- ignoring all who attempted to pry about what had occurred, and heading directly to his room. 

He did not see Seonghwa for seven days- the longest time between their meetings since they had moved from angry strangers to potentially real allies. 

And it is, actually, at this point, where we must leave Kim Hongjoong’s life for a moment. 

As said before, humans are rather easy to understand- we want our friends to remain our friends, and - if we are good humans- we want our enemies to change their ways to friends as well. 

There is nothing difficult to understand about this, so Kim Hongjoong’s stance is clear: his friend, in his eyes, betrayed what he thought he knew of him, and hurt Kim Hongjoong deeply. However, humans are known to take one of two paths: complete forgiveness or utter revenge. 

Very different choices, but not difficult to understand. 

So, at this point, where Kim Hongjoong is wounded at the hands of his only considered friend, it is only fair that we take a look at that friend’s side of the story, briefly. 

~~~~~~~

Seonghwa was a dragon. 

This, of course, has been made obvious by now. 

However, it may not have sunk very fully into our minds how much this claim may be disputed, given the evidence he has presented. 

He claims to be a dragon, but he: did not kill a human on sight,  _ allowed  _ that human to speak,  _ believed  _ a human’s promises,  _ aided  _ a human in  _ their  _ war, continued to associate with that human afterwards, and became what any outsider would call  _ friends  _ with that human. 

All before that human had proved his promise in any way. 

That sounded nothing like a dragon. Despite his intention of doing it for the good of himself and his kind. 

And when one is acting so very contrary to their nature, it can cause some… irritation inside of themselves. An ache or anger at themselves, cursing their body for going against what their minds knew and performing actions that go against everything their species told them to be. 

Kim Hongjoong may look at what Seonghwa has done and thought that this victory of theirs made him practically the savior of the dragons. 

They must be so grateful for him. 

Well… not exactly. Some dragons may feel grateful that they are no longer hunted, but others... or perhaps even most… see him as a dragon who has abandoned his pride as an ancient power to be the pet of a human king. 

The other dragons may interact with humans where it benefits them- to gain food or ensure a bond that will not end in them being attacked. 

But no dragon was coming and going from a human’s home-  _ entering into  _ that home in their most vulnerable form- and sitting down to act as  _ friends  _ with them. 

Perhaps ‘abomination’ was too harsh a word, but the main point of this is that Seonghwa gained no favor among the dragons- save for maybe a select few- for his alliance with the humans. 

Because he had lowered himself. He had lost his pride. He no longer stood tall, but lowered himself to exist with the bugs that roamed their hills. 

Yes, they had peace, but a dragon’s pride was his weapon. And giving that up? 

Made you weak. 

So now, it would be necessary to take what we know about  _ all  _ dragons, and focus on one very  _ specific  _ dragon. 

~~~~~~~

Seonghwa aided a human. 

Why did he do it? 

He couldn’t tell you. (He could, but he would never, so he couldn’t.) 

But he had. He had helped the desperate king that begged for the lives of his people in exchange for his own, and he  _ hated  _ himself for it. 

As far as Seonghwa’s knowledge went back, he could not think of a single time when a dragon would have allowed a human to ride it- humans were killed on sight or ignored completely, so there was no time for such things. 

Lowered to nothing but a mindless steed. 

Seonghwa’s entire body and mind screamed for him to crush the whimpering human, for his own safety, for his own protection, for his own survival- 

He could not aid this human. 

But he did. 

And Seonghwa hated the human for it. Perhaps even more than he hated himself. 

And the most enraging things that Seonghwa had ever had the displeasure of discovering? 

The human king did not hate him. 

At least, not enough to let Seonghwa see any amount of it in their interactions. He had seen a flash of it, when the human yelled for Seonghwa’s kind killing his only brother, but no other point- no other  _ argument- _ brought about that hatred again. 

And Seonghwa wanted to scream because how could a human in such a high position of power have so little pride as to let his enemy of  _ centuries  _ dine at his table like an  _ equal _ . 

_ A mistake is not allowed pride. I was a bastard child who was never supposed to exist. I was not allowed to hold my head high.  _

And here we run into the largest issue to plague man or beast since the beginning of time: admitting to being wrong about someone. 

Some are strong enough to see a changed man- or a misjudged man- and morph their opinions around what they now know, rather than the prejudices that formed before. 

Kim Hongjoong was a strong man. 

Unblinded by pride, he was strong enough and wise enough to place the good of his kingdom- and the world- above his own personal grudges from the loss of his family. He accepted that Seonghwa was not like the dragons that had killed his brother. And regardless of his internal opinion of the dragon, he did not let it permeate their meetings for peace. 

Hongjoong was a stronger being than Seonghwa. 

Humans were selfish, ignorant, prideful bugs that were bloodthirsty and vengeful. 

They did not beg for the lives of others. They did not kneel before a beast and beg for their aid. They did not seek out a dragon with no intent to kill. They did not offer their own spaces to be a safe haven for their century-long enemies. 

But Kim Hongjoong did, and Seonghwa hated him. 

He waited for the king to betray them. To ignore the dragons once his goal had been met. For his people to ignore their king’s laws and continue the systematic killing of the dragons. 

Because that’s what humans did. 

But they didn’t. 

Which not only meant that humans were wrong about dragons… perhaps dragons had been wrong about some people as well. 

Perhaps Seonghwa had been wrong about Hongjoong. 

And while there may exist, deep within Seonghwa’s heart, a part of him that was impressed by the king’s humility and loyalty, he could not let it reach the surface as he scorned the man for being so trusting of Seonghwa- so loyal, so open, so  _ friendly-  _

Did he not remember that they should be enemies? Was he so quick to invite Seonghwa into his life? Into his home? 

Did he not understand that Seonghwa hated him, despite what he was doing for his kind? 

So. As we’ve established: the most difficult thing for any living thing to do is change their opinion of another. 

However, the quickest cure for this problem was simple and automatic: nature and the natural flow of sentient interaction would change  _ you _ , as it had changed the other. 

Slowly, perhaps. 

Imperceptibly, perhaps. 

But change was inevitable once you had acknowledged that you were wrong about someone. 

Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong was not like other humans, and that angered him. 

Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong was a  _ good  _ person, and that  _ enraged  _ him. 

However, he could snap and scoff and glare at Hongjoong all he liked. The human had already convinced himself that Seonghwa was his ally and his friend- his moodiness was inconsequential. 

And when faced with such an immovable, consistent personality… Seonghwa changed as well. 

Externally, no. He glared and scoffed and snapped. But something inside of him, regardless of his outward appearance, had been changed by the king that smiled at him like an old friend rather than a newly-turned enemy. 

And, at times, a person may not even realize how much they have changed.

Seonghwa certainly didn’t. Even within the deep recesses of his heart, he believed he still hated Kim Hongjoong- the human who refused to act like a human. 

Until the moment he heard Hongjoong calling for him as the human plummeted to the ground. 

Until the moment something viscerally automatic tore him away from the battle- a battle to save his  _ own  _ kind, his  _ own  _ species- and race towards the fragile,  _ fragile  _ little human who fell too quickly for Seonghwa to believe he could actually save. 

Hongjoong broke through the treeline for a split moment before Seonghwa grabbed him, carefully stiff to avoid crushing him in his claws. 

Fragile. 

Kim Hongjoong was so fragile. Compared to the monstrous beasts he had chosen to ally himself with, he was as resilient against them as a bug beneath a boot. 

Humans were so  _ fragile _ . And the thought had caused Seonghwa delight before- a bitter laugh as he watched their broken little bodies snap and crack. 

But at that moment, right before he actually caught Kim Hongjoong, Seonghwa thought of their fragility and only felt an emotion he was unaccustomed to. 

Fear. 

What had a dragon to be afraid of? No human could get close enough to pose a real threat to them, and their personal weaknesses were a well-guarded secret.

Seonghwa did not feel fear. 

He was not accustomed to it. He did not know how to handle it, how to react to it in a rational manner. He did not know how to articulate the fear in his chest, nor did he know how to identify it for what it was- 

And he lashed out. 

And while many fairytales and love stories  _ adore  _ to use such an instance- more often for a realization of love than fear- they do it in a decidedly less visceral manner. 

Seonghwa did not understand what he was feeling as he set Kim Hongjoong’s fragile human body down on the ground, standing before him in his own fragile human form. Being human did not help in understanding the cold ice in his chest that usually burned with fire and flame. 

Seonghwa felt too many things, and so he could only pick out the one emotion he was well and genuinely acquainted with: anger. 

_ “What did I tell you? What in all the kingdoms were you thinking? You absolute fool-.” _

Kim Hongjoong was a fool. So utterly ridiculous to leap into a battle without regard to his own survival. 

The thought of it angered Seonghwa more, almost allowing it to overtake the nameless fear.

_ “I was attempting to help, as I had promised you. Regardless of whether I lost my life in that process or not, I promised to do everything in my power to protect your kind _ . 

And here, we are faced with another downfall of man (and beast). 

For reasons that many are too afraid to name, people are terrified and angered by the thought of others putting themselves in danger. 

However, a common theme would suggest that this only holds true when the person in danger… is someone you care for. 

But this… was impossible. For a dragon and a human… This was impossible. 

But why else would such a scenario cause such violent anger? It was paradoxical. Frightening. It forced Seonghwa into a corner with two equally impossible notions, and Seonghwa did what any man, beast, or bug does when they are cornered. 

They lash out. 

_ “And this is why bastards were never meant to lead.”  _

They are confused and frightened, and so nature has told us that the proper reaction is to hurt that which is causing such anguish. 

And subconsciously… Seonghwa didn’t expect the words to affect Kim Hongjoong. While his intention was to hurt, he never dreamed he could succeed in it. 

But the sharpness and bitterness and anger- all the things he hadn’t heard from Kim Hongjoong in the years of their allying- cut through Seonghwa like a sword to the most sensitive underbelly of his armor. 

And once more, he was confused. 

Why did he care if he had hurt the human?  _ That was his intention _ . 

But Hongjoong’s expression had cut off- not exploded. It had become cold and distant and something so utterly disappointed. 

As if Seonghwa had failed some sort of test. 

As if Hongjoong had thought he was better than this. 

_ “You need not concern yourself with the fate of a bastard, dragon. _ ” 

It was the first time Hongjoong hadn’t used his name, since he had learned it. And Seonghwa didn’t know why he noted that. 

It was too much. 

The confusion of his own emotions and Hongjoong’s reactions, and Seonghwa reactions to Hongjoong- the stupid, fragile, angry human that Seonghwa cared nothing for-  _ should  _ care nothing for- 

Seonghwa hid in his cave for what felt like hours, but he knew by the setting and rising of the sun that it had been days. 

And he still felt no relief. 

Only another emotion digging in his gut and chest- the one place his impenetrable armor could never truly reach- that felt too much like regret. 

Seonghwa went back to Hongjoong. 

Not to speak with him. No, there was still too much rage and pain for him to face the human, so he simply landed silently on his balcony, careful of his wings to keep from blowing open the doors as he often did. 

Seonghwa walked to the door, pushing one open in the darkness that was not even lessened by the moon. He peered inside, golden eyes seeing easily in the darkness that concealed him from the human. 

He looked to Hongjoong bed, and did not find him beneath its blankets. 

Frowning, he scanned the room and saw the fragile little human slumped over his desk, a burnt out candle beside him and a scattering of papers beneath his arms and cheek. 

Seonghwa remained in the doorway, not knowing what brought him here. If he had no intention of telling Hongjoong he had been a foolish bastard, why did he come? 

Just to stare at the human who had the audacity to scorn Seonghwa for berating him for being foolish? 

Seonghwa hadn’t moved. But perhaps there was some wind that blew through the room from the ajar door. But there was the quiet flap of paper shifting beneath Hongjoong, and the king was jerking up, startled awake, immediately turning to glance around his room- 

Hongjoong’s eyes glanced right over Seonghwa’s form at first, but then they snapped back, as if realizing what he had seen glowing in the darkness. 

He stood abruptly, staring at Seonghwa as if trying to discern in he were real or not. 

Seonghwa’s jaw tightened at being discovered as he turned swiftly, walking towards the balcony. 

“Seonghwa!” 

Seonghwa was far enough ahead of Hongjoong that he could have leapt from the balcony before the king had ever made it outside. 

But the cry made his steps stutter, his movements falter as he echoed like the cry that the king had uttered as he fell- 

By the time Seonghwa shook off the echo, Hongjoong’s hands were wrapping around his arm, a pitiful attempt to hold him back when Seonghwa could break him without trying. 

“Seonghwa, wait-” Hongjoong cut off as Seonghwa turned sharp shards of gold on him, his eyes widening for only a moment before softening again. Seonghwa could have shaken his arm off, sneered in his face like Hongjoong had done to him, and left him in the darkness. 

But he didn’t. 

Seonghwa was stronger than Hongjoong in every way. Yet, it felt like the human’s genuinely weak hold on Seonghwa were chains he couldn’t break. Couldn’t even try to. 

Hongjoong stared at him with eyes that were too human. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Seonghwa didn’t move. His expression changed none. 

Hongjoong swallowed, fingers shifting on Seonghwa’s arm slightly. “I’m sorry,” he repeated quietly. “I shouldn’t-” He let go of a short breath. “What you said was out of line,” He said firmly, back to that anger for a moment before it died. “But you… you were right that I… perhaps went in over my head in that fight. I only meant to keep my promise to you.” 

“As if that promise was worth your life,” Seonghwa sneered, but still he could not dislodge the human fingers from around his arm. 

“I told you it was,” Hongjoong said firmly, eyes hardening. “I owe you my life and my kingdom- I told you I would risk both of those to repay you.” 

“Then you are an  _ incurable  _ fool,” Seonghwa snapped, finally jerking his arm away- 

Hongjoong caught him by the hand- the only part of Seonghwa within reach- both of his tiny little human hands wrapping around Seonghwa’s. “Do you not  _ want  _ me to keep my promise?” Hongjoong demanded with no anger in his voice, only confusion. “Do you not want me to try my hardest to keep your kind free?” 

“I want you to stop believing that your kind and mine could ever coexist,” Seonghwa sneered, but he did not rip his hand away from Hongjoong’s chilled ones. “Stop living in this fantasy where the two of us are friends, or whatever else you’ve convinced yourself-” 

“Then why are you here?” 

Seonghwa’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as Hongjoong stared at him, unafraid and unblinking, as if  _ Seonghwa  _ was the one under  _ his  _ power. 

Hongjoong didn’t look away. “If the two of us are- and can only ever be- enemies, than why are you here right now?  _ I  _ certainly didn’t call you.” 

There is was again. 

The confusion. The pain. The anger. The desire to simply hurt because he was being hurt. 

“ _ You- _ ” 

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong broke in sharply, but it almost sounded like a plea. His eyes shone in the starlight as they implored Seonghwa. “Why… are you here? Why did you come?” 

Seonghwa didn’t know- how could he? There was no explanation that fit into their natures. 

Either he was here to hurt Hongjoong, as was his kind’s custom. 

Or he was here because he cared or was remorseful, and that was impossible- he had his pride. 

Pride that Hongjoong did not have. 

Hongjoong apologized to him. Despite being the one who was hurt… 

Hongjoong did not hurt him back. Hongjoong curled around his vulnerable wounds and  _ apologized _ . 

He had no pride. 

“Seonghwa-” 

“ _ I don’t know _ !” 

Hongjoong winced at the volume in his voice as Seonghwa tore his hand away, backing away until his back hit the balcony- 

His chest hurt. 

Seonghwa’s fiery blood turned cold as Hongjoong approached him, eyes gentle as if approaching a frightened animal- 

Seonghwa turned, and he jumped. 

He heard Hongjoong yell his name again, but his legs were already over the balcony. 

But as his body began to fall, he felt hands grab at his clothing, holding on as if he could drag Seonghwa back up. Seonghwa felt a weight attach to him, and he looked up, seeing Hongjoong falling over the edge of the balcony, pulled over by Seonghwa’s weight that he held onto- 

They fell, and Seonghwa saw the exact moment Hongjoong realized what had happened- 

They were already too far down. Seonghwa wasn’t prepared enough to transform, he wasn’t in a good enough position to fly away- 

His hand grabbed Hongjoong’s wrist, yanking the human’s body against him, arms wrapping around him as Seonghwa braced himself for what he knew would hurt. 

Seonghwa back slammed into dirt, Hongjoong’s fragile little human body encased in his arms. 

Now, a fall that like would have likely killed any normal human- or at least broken their body beyond repair. But even if a dragon’s human form was weaker than its dragon form, it was still more resilient than a regular human. 

They hit, and Seonghwa bit back a groan of pain as his eyes fell shut against the non-lethal but intense ache, but his breath was knocked from his lungs, his entire body seeming to seize at the impact- 

“-eonghwa!” 

He didn’t even register Hongjoong tearing himself from his arms, kneeling beside him, hands touching him in feather-light touches that were afraid to cause pain. 

“Seonghwa- Seonghwa- I’m sorry,  _ I’m sorry-  _ Oh gods, Seonghwa, please-” 

He wasn’t even saying whatever it was he was begging for, but Seonghwa wasn’t concerned with the human at the moment, trying to get air- 

His lungs suddenly unlocked, and he brought in a large breath that ached- 

“Oh, thank the gods, Seonghwa-  _ Seonghwa _ , oh gods-” 

Seonghwa heaved in another breath and felt something wet hit his skin. 

His breath seized for another reason entirely as he forced his eyes open, almost begging that he would see a storm cloud releasing rain- 

All he saw was a human hovering above him, tears in his eyes and on his cheeks and on Seonghwa’s skin- 

A human crying. 

Crying for him. 

Hongjoong’s hand touched Seonghwa’s cheek. “Seonghwa, are you-” 

Aching body or not, Seonghwa jerked away, hissing as his body throbbed- 

Hongjoong shoved him back down, shocking Seonghwa into compliance as Hongjoong held him on the ground. 

“Stop moving!” he burst, glaring even as another tear hit Seonghwa’s skin, burning him. “You just f-fell-” 

Hongjoong’s voice faltered, something in his eyes cracking until he hung his head, crying quietly without even looking at Seonghwa, fists gripping the grass beneath them, tearing it out as his shoulders shook. 

Seonghwa could only stare as everything inside of him told him to run. 

But still, Hongjoong cried. 

“I’m sorry,” he breathed around the quiet hisses of breath as he tried to stop the tears. “I’m  _ sorry _ , I shouldn’t have- I just- You were leaving- I- You were m-moving, and I- I didn’t know-” 

His voice failed again, and all of Seonghwa’s armor was useless against the human that was crying over the potential death of a dragon. 

It was all wrong. 

It was impossible- humans did not mourn dragons- 

But regardless, Hongjoong’s tears still watered the earth and Seonghwa still stared like a dumb beast. 

“I thought- I thought I had killed you, that you-” Hongjoong’s voice was weak. 

How could humans be so fragile? How could the idea of Seonghwa’s death torment Hongjoong so? 

He was a human. 

Seonghwa was a dragon. 

They could not…. 

Seonghwa sat up slowly, his body telling him to run. Hongjoong didn’t stop him. Didn’t even look at him. 

“Why…” 

_ No _ , he didn’t not want to speak. He needed to run, to put as much distance between them. He was weak here, he was vulnerable- 

“Why are you crying for me?” 

Seonghwa’s heart slowly squeezed. 

Hongjoong looked up, his tears having slowed, but still clinging to his skin as he looked at Seonghwa with utter confusion,  _ Seonghwa  _ felt like the fool. 

“Why-” Hongjoong’s expression hardened as best it could. “I told you,” he said, voice still a little unstable, like he might start crying again at any moment. “Even if you don’t think our people can live together,  _ I do _ . You- You aided me in my hour of need, and I swore to aid you in return-” 

He stopped, closing his eyes as he struggled to keep his composure. 

When his eyes opened, they were a little more sure of themselves. “Regardless of what you may think of me- of my people and my kind-” His jaw tightened. “Or my birth status… I consider you to be an ally and a friend. You know this.” 

“You are-” 

“A fool, yes,” Hongjoong scoffed, bringing his sleeve to scrub at his cheeks, and Seonghwa was at least glad to have those reminders gone. “Call me it all you like- You cannot stop me from how I see you, Seonghwa. You have already done too much for me for us to continue on as enemies. You have been my first and only friend for  _ years _ .” 

Hongjoong had never hidden that fact from Seonghwa, yet it felt like being impaled through his chest. 

Hongjoong’s eyes shone with residual tears, starlight and a thousand human emotions burning through them, aimed at Seonghwa- at Seonghwa, whom he had just finished weeping for- 

Seonghwa got to his aching feet, ignoring how his back cried in discomfort. 

Hongjoong looked up at him, eyes soft and gentle and- 

Seonghwa turned, running and transforming as he took to the sky fast enough to break trees with the winds of wings. 

He did not look back. 

He did not look back to the crying human. 

Nor did he return to that crying human for the remainder of the month- staying to his cave, where he was safe. Staying alone and in precious solitude that was his only defense where his armor failed. 

He did not interact. He did not leave his cave. 

He stayed where he was safe and protected, in the solitude and loneliness of his own mind. 

Far, far away from the human that threatened him more ardently than he could ever understand. 

~~~~~~~~

So… Now, we have seen the minds of man and beast. 

We have seen what angers and what hurts them. We have even seen a few instances of why those things hurt them… 

And now that we have a bit of a better understanding of their minds, we can begin to look at the events that lead up to the history they made. The history that changed the world in more ways than ending a few wars. 

However, the world-changing isn’t the part we truly care about. 

No… 

Our focus is not on how they changed the world… but how each of them changed each other’s worlds. 


	2. Pride & Perseverance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had half of this written already which is why it’s quicker, and I’m hoping I can get the others up as fast but it’s not likely ㅠㅠㅠ   
But I hope you enjoy this other monster chapter that wasn’t supposed to be this long!   
Let me know what you think, and have an amazing day!  
-SS

Kim Hongjoong allowed his friend to be absent for one full month. 

Two fortnights. 

Four weeks… of being alone. 

He wrote his correspondence, he attended peace talks, he stayed up thinking and counseling, he rode around the kingdom to see for himself how dragon and human interacted (cold, but cordial mostly). 

And he stayed up late, watching the door to his balcony. And he glanced at the sky much too often, waiting for a shape to blot out the sun for a moment. And he looked a little too quickly whenever a dragon was heard or seen. And he sat on his balcony that he had fallen from. And he thought about the day he thought that Seonghwa had died for a moment. 

He thought about the night when he didn’t know if he had lost his only friend, however angry he had been at that friend. 

And he thought about it more and more and more until he couldn’t look at his balcony without feeling such an intense pain in his chest that he took several minutes to compose himself. 

And he waited. 

And he was alone. 

He was tired of being alone. He hadn’t even realized he hadn’t been alone, until he was sitting with no one but his advisors who stopped by for a few moments to discuss business as company. 

And he was alone. 

It was a cooler day at the edge of autumn, when the trees had not yet gained the knowledge of their impending deaths. It was when the skies were bright and the wind was crisp and it was just cool enough that he could run without breaking a sweat. 

It was when Hongjoong was just a little cold, and every burst of warm air from the fireplace felt like Seonghwa’s skin. 

That was when he could stand it no longer. 

Hongjoong mounted a horse and told the stableboy to keep quiet about. He didn’t know why. He was allowed to leave. But… He told the boy to remain quiet about it. 

He rode into the forest for the second time- not quite so desperate as his first journey through here, but still at a hurried pace. The wind blew past him in a chilly burst, but Hongjoong simply kept his steed going at a steady pace until they reached the thickest part of the forest. 

He pulled them to a slow trot, eyes casting around the deep green and brown of the forest. 

Hongjoong guided the horse forward until the beast began to hesitate- whinnying nervously and jerking to a stop. 

Rather than being thrown this time, Hongjoong dismounted, comforting the animal with a hand on its muzzle, turning it back towards the castle. 

“Go home,” he urged, slapping its rear to make it walk. 

The horse knew nothing of king or servant- it ran off, leaving Hongjoong alone in the woods. 

Hongjoong barely walked another quarter mile before he stepped into the clearing he had been threatened so viciously in before. 

He looked at the scattered leaves that had barely cushioned his head as Seonghwa crushed his chest- 

Such a distance the two of them had come. Hadn’t they? 

Hongjoong stood in the middle of the clearing, looking toward the massive outcropping of rock that served as Seonghwa’s home. 

“Seonghwa?” he called quietly, voice echoing and re-echoing back at him as it lifted up into the trees. 

Not even the birds answered him. 

Hongjoong swallowed, stepping forward towards the cave carefully. “Seonghwa?” he called again, pausing at its entrance. It was dark within, and damp, making Hongjoong shiver lightly. He peered through the darkness, waiting to see those golden lanterns shining back at him. “Seonghwa?” 

Only his own voice answered back at him. 

“What are you doing here.” 

Hongjoong whipped around, startled, and found Seonghwa standing on the edge of the clearing, a small pile of wood in his arms. 

Hongjoong’s mouth opened, but he frowned. “Why do you need firewood?” he blurted as Seonghwa watched him with angry eyes. 

Seonghwa stepped forward, climbing the gentle slope to the cave. “It’s getting colder,” he said flatly, not looking at Hongjoong as he barely entered into the cave. 

“Seong-” 

“I asked you a question,” Seonghwa broke in, dropping the wood by the cave entrance, turning back to Hongjoong with terse eyes that made it clear his presence was not welcome. 

Hongjoong stood firm, though. 

“You haven’t come by the castle in nearly a month now…” 

Seonghwa hummed. “One would assume that meant I had no desire to go back there.” 

Hongjoong rolled his lips. “Perhaps. But a month is a very long time to a human. To a dragon, a month is nothing but a moment in your ancient lives. I couldn’t be sure if you were truly upset or just losing track of time.” 

“I know exactly how long I have been away from your castle,” Seonghwa said sharply. “I had no desire to return.” 

“But you kept count of the days?” Hongjoong questioned. Seonghwa’s expression blanked for a moment before locking down in anger, and Hongjoong wondered how that could be the wrong thing to say. “Seonghwa, I-” 

“I did not invite you here,” Seonghwa said shortly. “You can leave, now.” 

“Seonghwa-” 

“ _ Go _ , Hongjoong,” he snapped, glaring. “Had I wanted your company, I would have returned on my own-” 

“Seongh-” 

“I said to leave.” 

“Seonghwa, we are-” 

“I’ll not ask again-” 

“ _ We’re friends, Seonghwa _ !” Hongjoong shouted, voice bouncing back at him as Seonghwa’s jaw tightened. “I don’t care what it is you proclaim or attempt to convince yourself of- we are  _ friends _ .” His anger faded once again, leaving him staring at Seonghwa with crystalline eyes. “I’m sorry I made a mistake the last time we spoke,” he said quietly. “I shouldn’t have chased you- I’m sorry you got hurt-” 

“Can you please cease with the apologies?” Seonghwa scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It makes you seem pathetic.” 

“Better pathetic than a liar.” 

Seonghwa looked back at him with eyes that could have burned worse than his flames, but Hongjoong didn’t flinch away, staring at Seonghwa’s eyes… 

His bright, golden eyes… that were so shockingly human. 

“Excuse me?” Seonghwa hissed, eyes flashing. 

“I believe I spoke clearly enough,” Hongjoong said shortly. “You are a liar, Seonghwa.” 

“Where have you provided any evidence to prove yourself more than a weak little fool?” Seonghwa demanded. “My claims are true- you are a fool.” 

“Those aren’t the claims I’m referring to,” Hongjoong pressed, stepping forward. “It is not me you are lying to- it’s yourself.” 

“Excuse-” 

“You cannot believe that a human would actually be better than you expected,” Hongjoong snapped. “So you write me off as a fool and a burden, but you have continuously returned to me and entered into my home. You call us enemies who could never coexist, but what do you call the past  _ years  _ of our lives, Seonghwa? Mere moments to you, but those were  _ lifetimes  _ to me.” 

“If you’ll recall,” Seonghwa growled, “I did not return to you this past time. I finally grew tired of you.” 

“So you had no plans to return?” Hongjoong challenged. “Ever? I would have never seen you again, had I not sought you out?” 

“Precisely.” 

“Then what do you call your presence at my room in the middle of the night?” 

Hongjoong saw the way his expression tightened, his anger growing, but while his face could erect its shields and show nothing… his eyes… 

“Your eyes are human.” 

Seonghwa recoiled as if Hongjoong had managed to burn him. 

Hongjoong simply stared, a little saddened and a little pitying. 

“How dare you-” 

“They’re scared,” Hongjoong said, voice turning a little thick and hoarse as Seonghwa tried his hardest to cover himself in anger. “Why are you scared of me, Seonghwa?” 

“You think I would be frightened by a  _ human _ ?” He sneered, eyes flickering. “You think you could pose a  _ single  _ threat to me that I could not smite within a  _ moment _ ?”

Hongjoong took two quick steps forward, and Soenghwa stumbled back, hands coming up as if to shove Hongjoong away, but he stopped a distance from the dragon. 

His eyes softened. “Why are you afraid of me, Seonghwa?” he questioned quietly. “Why do you look as if I held the key to your undoing? Why did you look at me like that- the night we fell? Why did you look so afraid?” 

Seonghwa turned on his heel, taking two steps within his cave, but Hongjoong caught his sleeve, even when Seonghwa whipped around and swung his fist- Hongjoong released him and stepped out of the attack’s range that came nowhere close to hitting him. 

Too easy to dodge. Like Seonghwa wasn’t really trying. 

Seonghwa was breathing heavily, like he was backed into a corner, glaring at Hongjoong with murder in his face that didn’t reach his eyes. 

His eyes begged for an escape. 

“Seonghwa-” 

“ _ Stop  _ speaking,” he hissed venomously. “ _ Go _ ,” he snapped. “And if I ever see you near these woods again, I’ll-” 

“You’ll what?” Hongjoong questioned- a challenge, but his chest tightening. “Kill me? As you so easily could?” 

Seonghwa was silent, looking torn between attacking and fleeing. 

“If you hated me enough to kill me, you wouldn’t need to wait until I trespassed on you,” Hongjoong breathed, afraid to look away, but not sure why. “You’ve saved me more times than you’ve ever threatened to kill me. If you were going to kill me, why not just let me fall from that dragon? Or the balcony? Why save me again and again, if you were just going to kill me anyway?” 

It sounded like a taunt. A mock. 

Seonghwa was shaking. With fury or fear or everything in between- Hongjoong could never know. 

“Your eyes are human, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong breathed, taking a step forward carefully. “And I don’t know how much more of you is human, too. But…” His throat was too dry, making it impossible to clear his throat. “But I know… that I have no pride to keep me angry. Not like you have…” 

Hongjoong was sure Seonghwa’s hands would break from their tight fists. 

“I have no pride to keep me from calling you my friend,” Hongjoong confessed. “And I do not understand what it takes for a dragon to make a friend, but humans must be simpler than you.” Hongjoong’s eyes stung. “I have no need of complexity, Seonghwa. I only need someone who will stand with me… who will stand with me, regardless of my birth and position. I only need someone who cares not for what I am… but who I am. And clearly… you care nothing for the fact that I am a king… And I had thought you cared nothing for the fact I was a bastard…” 

Seonghwa took another step back. Hongjoong didn’t match him this time, keeping his distance, but never looking away. 

“I don’t know if it is me whom you fear… or yourself,” Hongjoong confessed. “But I swore to protect you and your kind.  _ I  _ am not one you need fear, Seonghwa- I would never harm you. Never with intent.” 

Seonghwa took another step away. 

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong begged. “Is friendship with a human truly so disgusting to you?” he demanded. “Can you truly look at all we accomplished together and scorn it?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Seonghwa spat, like poison dripping off his tongue, making Hongjoong wince. His human eyes were no longer afraid. They showed only anger and disgust. “You think speaking in circles and talking of heart-felt niceties is enough to erase everything your people have done to mine?”

“We are not our people!” Hongjoong fought. “I am no more responsible for that than you are for the death of my brother-” 

“My kind have performed the world a service by ending that prince’s life!” 

Hongjoong felt like he had been slapped across the face as a dagger buried itself deep in his heart, his body jerking as if a physical blow had dealt. 

He stumbled back a step, staring at Seonghwa with… with everything. 

This… 

This was not some backhanded jab at Hongjoong’s birth. This was not insulting his kind and his intelligence for simply desiring peace. This was not anything like any insult Seonghwa had ever thrown at Hongjoong. 

This was his brother. 

His only brother. The only person who had cared for him. Who had protected him. 

A person’s whose death Hongjoong had managed to set aside for the greater good. 

A death that Seonghwa mocked. 

Hongjoong was not stupid enough to make a conscious decision to attack, but his body was suddenly colliding with Seonghwa’s, both of them hitting the soft dirt and rolling down the slope leading to the cave, leaves and dirt covering them- 

Hongjoong didn’t know what Seonghwa’s expression was, his vision too blurred by vicious tears as Hongjoong grabbed at the man with his bare hands. 

He had never been vengeful. He had never looked at a person and only felt a desire to hurt. 

But for once in his life, Hongjoong wanted justice for all the people who  _ just… kept… hurting him _ . 

They landed on solid ground and the battle was over before it began- Hongjoong pinned to the ground with Seonghwa’s hand around his neck, pinning him in place without oxygen. 

The smart decision would be to go limp and beg for mercy as Seonghwa bore down on him. 

Hongjoong simply glared through the pitiful tears that rolled from the corners of his eyes as he tried to shove Seonghwa away, a sob stuck in his chest that couldn’t escape from the pressure on his throat. Hongjoong’s weak little human hands tried to push at Seonghwa, but there was no use. 

He didn’t stop- weak, aborted actions that made no difference as he cried like the weak little fool he was. 

The fool that kept coming back to this beast that only proved again and again that Hongjoong had been wrong. 

Perhaps they could not exist together. 

Hongjoong did not want to exist with this beast. Or his kind. 

Tears fell harder as the edges of his vision blurred, his fist hitting Seonghwa’s chest uselessly, his face twisting as he realized that he would never be strong enough. 

Not against such a foe. 

Not against such centuries and lifetimes of hatred. 

And he had been nothing but an ignorant fool to think he could. 

The hand was suddenly gone from his neck, and by the time Hongjoong finished coughing and sobbing into the earth beneath him, Seonghwa was gone. Whether within the cave or off into the sky- he couldn’t tell. 

Hongjoong dragged himself from the clearing, collapsing against a tree as he cried every tear he hadn’t allowed himself for years. 

The wood dug into his back and his throat burned like fire pressing against it, and his eyes were raw and aching as he gagged on his tears of such grief. 

His brother… His only real family… 

There was no rage in his heart. Only aching, empty sadness that had never been filled. 

He had only been foolish enough to think that it had been. 

~~~~~~~~~

In every story, there comes a part where the reader must put it down and scratch their heads. 

A moment of thinking: “How could they ever come back from such a situation?” “How could such an offense, such an attack, ever be forgiven or fixed?” “How could they ever return to what they had been?”

And the answer is simple: people rarely believe in the power of other people. It is easy to look at two people and believe that one is too cruel to ever change and one is too angry to ever forgive. 

However, there is one crucial factor to consider: some people are inherently good. And while grief and anger make  _ actions  _ sharp and spiteful, their  _ nature  _ does not change. 

Kim Hongjoong cursed and hated Seonghwa in that moment, where Seonghwa wielded the death of his brother in such a cruel manner. 

However, outside of that moment- within his chambers, in the calm of his mind, in the rationale of a king and good human being- Hongjoong was able to think back with his true nature. 

Seonghwa’s eyes were human. 

His anger was large enough to fill a dragon, and Hongjoong was ill-prepared for such a sum to attack a human. But, he understood as he stared at his crackling fire, he knew that Seonghwa had only been doing what any animal did when afraid, when cornered- he lashed out. 

Did the cruelty of it make his blood boil and his heart freeze over? Yes. 

But Hongjoong had one advantage as a king that every king before him lacked: He was a good person. A genuine and kind person. Who only wanted peace. 

And he had no pride. No selfish urges. Which meant he was able to forgive. And weeks after the event that left bruises on his neck, Hongjoong found his eyes searching the skies again. 

Part of him hoped Seonghwa did not return soon- he was not ready to face him. 

Part of him begged Seonghwa to hurry up so that Hongjoong could stop tossing and turning and glancing around his room each time he woke, searching for golden lanterns. 

Seonghwa feared him. 

For what reason, Hongjoong could not fathom, but he knew what that paralyzing, deep rooted fear looked like when it shone from someone’s eyes, and Seonghwa was  _ terrified  _ of him. 

The trees changed from luscious green to brilliant vermillion and burnt oranges that shone in the autumn sun that reflected off of them better than any lake. 

Hongjoong walked the chilly castle, only warmed by the torches on the wall and the fireplaces in each room- his sheets cold as he slept within them, and the air outside changing from cool to crisp. 

Two months. The trees began to lose their leaves, until only half of them remained alive in the thick forest. 

Seonghwa remained away, and Hongjoong continued on his duties as king. 

He was finalizing his first peace agreement today, on such a chilly, dreary autumn day. 

But Prince Yeosang stood beside his father- a man four times Hongjoong’s age- as both king’s signed their names, and shook to seal their agreement. 

Prince Yeosang was only three years King Hongjoong’s junior. His father was elderly, but spry, and a good man, despite his lack of tact at times. They came from the deep North, where there were only three months out of the year that they weren’t covered in snow. Hongjoong’s kingdom was like a paradise island, compared to their icy lands. 

(You would do well to remember these two men. They’re important to us later.) 

“I can’t believe I was the first king foolish enough to take advantage of the Dragon Kingdom,” he chortled good-naturedly, clapping Hongjoong’s shoulder with a calloused hand. “I’m sure your people and mine will benefit greatly- despite your youthfulness.” He frowned at Hongjoong before glancing back at Prince Yeosang who stood by quietly. “Why- I don’t believe you stand much older than my son here…” 

“I believe only a few years separate us, at most,” Hongjoong agreed, offering the prince a tiny smile. 

He received a cordial node in response- the prince’s icy expression seeming almost comical on his youthful, pretty face. Hongjoong only smiled a bit wider. 

“Come, prince- I have met dragons with more willingness to smile.” 

“Do you meet many of them?” Prince Yeosang questioned- voice deep and quiet as he stared at Hongjoong, as if looking for a trace of mocking. “Dragons?”

Hongjoong felt as if he had been struck in the gut violently, but he managed a tight smile he was sure no one saw through. “I have met my fair share. Rarely personally, but since our laws have changed, we have interacted more cordially.” 

“I heard there was a dragon you rode into battle in your acquaintance,” the king said suddenly, eyes alight. “Perhaps youthfulness can speak for something- I doubt a man older than you could have managed such a feat.” 

Hongjoong nodded graciously. “There are more reasonable than the world would believe. Many exist in anger, but just as many only wish to live in peace.” 

“They sound almost as human as us,” the king said, nodding. His delight in his eyes faded to something more serious as he laid a heavy hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder. “At the risk of stepping outside of my bounds… I think you are ruling just as well as your father ever could have. You’ve managed what centuries of kings across the nations could never.” There was a substantial pause as the king’s eyes softened. “The kingdoms were wrong to write you off, simply because of your birth.” 

Hongjoong was going to vomit. He could, around the visceral reaction, appreciate such a prominent kingdom’s ruler giving him such an out of place compliment. One that would likely create a backlash from his other allies. But he still voiced it. 

And maybe it did instill a bit of hope within his chest, knowing that someone believed in him. 

It was the first piece of positive feedback Hongjoong had received since he took his father’s title. 

“Your and your troops are welcome to stay within our kingdom as long as you like,” Hongjoong assured him graciously. “We are allies, now. My home is yours.” 

The exact offer Seonghwa rejected was accepted with gusto from the king. 

“Perhaps you would be willing to give my son a tour of your grounds?” he asked Hongjoong, tone jovial and light. 

Hongjoong frowned. “Would you not like to accompany us?” 

“I’m sure you would only find such an old man a bore among your youth,” He chuckled, clapping Hongjoong’s shoulder. “Perhaps you can warn my son of all the reasons he shouldn’t want to be king. This old man would simply like a place to rest for a while, after such a journey here.” 

Hongjoong immediately ordered a servant to show the king to his guest chambers. He passed Hongjoong with a smile. “Thank you for humoring an old man,” he murmured before passing down the hall, and leaving Hongjoong alone with the prince. 

Hongjoong turned, frowning after him, but they turned a corner, and Hongjoong was left alone with the quiet prince who stared at him, as if they were speaking different languages. 

Hongjoong hadn’t had allies before. He had certainly never needed to entertain anyone before. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to see the gardens? We have some winter plants that haven’t died as of yet.” 

Prince Yeosang simply inclined his head, gesturing for Hongjoong to lead. 

The grounds were a bit too chilly to truly walk comfortably, so Hongjoong tried to make it quick- simply giving a general show of his grounds. 

Or he tried to. No sooner than he had introduced the first flower that Yeosang bent to examine, did the quiet prince interrupt his droning of how beautiful it was in the spring. 

“Do you truly interact with the dragons?” Yeosang asked, not looking away from the flower he held gently in his fingers. 

Hongjoong stopped speaking, frowning. “I’m sorry?”

Yeosang glanced over his shoulder, eyes intense and sharp despite the softness of his face. “The dragons,” he said firmly. “You’ve stood with them? You truly rode one into battle?” 

Hongjoong felt like he was drifting off in the sea. “I- I did not lie about it-” 

“I was not implying that, Your Highness,” Yeosang said quickly, standing. “But you…” He glanced Hongjoong over, lips pressing together tightly. “You are still  _ alive _ .” He said it delicately, as if Hongjoong may not have noticed. 

“I told your father,” Hongjoong said, chest twinging. “They are more rational than anyone would believe. They know pity and trust as much as they know anger and violence.” 

At least, Seonghwa did. 

At least, Hongjoong thought he had. 

“What happened?” Yeosang asked, stepping forward purposely. “How- How did you even manage to speak with him without being killed? How did you manage to convince it to aid a  _ human _ ?” 

Hongjoong’s brow pinched. “Have you such curiosity?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Yeosang burst quietly, more active than he had been the entire day. “Your Highness- Do you not understand that-” He broke off, expression twitching as if he had almost said something wrong. “No one- no one has ever managed to converse with a dragon and come away alive? Do you know how many people have been  _ killed- _ ” Yeosang cut himself off, wincing, his eagerness fading. “I- I apologize, that was… I spoke without thinking.” 

Hongjoong looked the prince over- scarcely younger than himself, but such a cold light in his eyes. “Have you lost family to them?” he asked quietly, already knowing the answer. 

Yeosang glanced up, eyes unreadable- a torn mixture of dark and attempts to remain light. “Who has not?” he muttered quietly. “My mother… and her sister with her children. They were traveling after visiting in the South.” 

Hongjoong was still, watching Yeosang lower his eyes to the ground again. “And you still support my decision to ally with the dragons? To provide them with safety?” 

Yeosang was silent for a long moment, and Hongjoong appreciated him taking the question seriously, rather than agreeing with the king. He blew out a quiet breath. 

“I think…” Yeosang’s expression shifted and churned, but remained an enigma. “I believed that a very many people would have had their lives spared, had we simply realized how stupid it was to try and start a war against dragons. They defend themselves as we defend ourselves. They fought for survival as we fought for survival.”

Hongjoong was silent, even as his chest lifted with a flutter of hope. 

“What did we expect them to do?” Yeosang demanded, frowning in confusion. “Roll over at the first attack and abandon the fields and plains they have lived in for centuries before our existence?” His eyes turned colder. “At least… I thought as such…” 

Hongjoong’s lips pressed together imperceptibly. “Do you not still believe them to be such?” 

Yeosang’s jaw tightened, his eyes turning bitter, but seeming tormented. “I… spent most of my life thinking that if we simply spoke with them… things might be better.” His fist curled at his side. “But they killed my  _ mother…  _ my aunt and cousins,” he whispered darkly. He looked up at Hongjoong, almost pleading. “How can I not hate them for what they’ve done?”

Hongjoong realized that Yeosang did not want to hate them. He simply didn’t know how not to, after they had taken such a love from him. 

“Dragons killed my brother,” Hongjoong said quietly. “They burned my home and killed so many- And I hated them for what they had done. For what they continue to do… I think I do still hate them… in a way. If they are so intelligent as I know them to be, how could they kill so mindlessly?” 

Yeosang’s throat bobbed roughly, expression pinching. “You allied with them… protected them… even after all of that?” 

The king took a long breath, letting go of it. This was not the conversation he had intended to have with the prince. 

But how could he try and cut it off? How could he rob Yeosang of that knowledge that Hongjoong had suffered to find? 

“It was an… instinctual decisions, we shall call it,” Hongjoong spoke quietly. “My kingdom was dying. I had no other options, but to ask for help from the enemy. What right had I to doom my people due to a personal grudge? How dare I rob them of a chance for peace, simply because I hated the ones I needed help from?” 

Yeosang stared at Hongjoong had if he had fallen from the stars. 

Hongjoong brushed his fingers over a flower petal. “But I learned that they have reasons to kill… as we do. I suppose I hate dragons as I hate some humans. Not because they are dragon or because they are human… but because of how they have chosen to use their power. Seonghwa proved that though he was a dragon, he could coexist alongside me. I do not hate him. As much as he seems to think I should.” 

There was a long silence before Yeosang’s quiet voice broke it. 

“Is Seonghwa… that dragon you rode?” 

Hongjoong looked up sharply, suddenly feeling as if he had revealed something that was a secret. But Yeosang stared at him with something a little less bitter, almost amused. 

He swallowed. “Yes,” he admitted. “He is.” 

Yeosang nodded, not seeming surprised, and turned to stare at the flower bushes. “You placed something of more importance… over your hate. Hating them wasn’t worth… what you would lose by holding onto it…”

Yeosang seemed as if he was off in his own world, and Hongjoong nodded, quite surprised but the summation. “I suppose that’s accurate. And after I stopped hating, I could open myself to accepting them.” 

Yeosang nodded, lost in his own mind. 

Hongjoong couldn’t even begin to guess what was going through the prince’s head, but he allowed him all the time he needed to work through it. 

There was a long moment where nothing spoke but the whispering wind, carrying all the chill and ice from the mountains. King and Prince stood beside each other- examining and processing and waiting. 

Yeosang finally nodded slowly. “I think that… changes quite a few things… And makes me feel ashamed of some of the things I have done in my hatred…” He looked up at Hongjoong, eyes clear and regretful. 

Hongjoong only felt his lips curl up slightly, something warming his chest as he placed a hand on Yeosang’s shoulder. 

“Your father bid me to tell you all the reasons you should avoid becoming king,” Hongjoong said quietly. “But I wouldn’t dare deprive the world of such a potential leader.” 

Yeosang’s eyes widened slightly, lips parting, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. It was almost comical on his previously-icy face. 

“I wish your father many more years of life,” Hongjoong assured him. “But I look forward to the day I can have you as my ally as well.” 

If Yeosang could, as Hongjoong did, understand that there could never be an end to the bloodshed without cooperation, than Hongjoong no longer feared so greatly for their future.

Back within the castle, Yeosang stopped yet again. “Did you see him again?” he questioned quietly. “Seonghwa?” 

Hongjoong froze, staring straight ahead and trying not to think of how long it had been since Seonghwa had returned. He refused to let his chest ache. 

His voice came out flat. “We kept our alliance strong for several years. I considered us…” It sounded foolish, even now. “I considered him a friend as well as ally. I owe him my life several times over. He…” He cleared his throat gently. “He did not agree to such sentiments. Dragons are decidedly less eager to form connections than humans.” 

“Did you…” Yeosang’s voice was suddenly darker, and when Hongjoong glanced at him, he stared at the floor, mouth twisted as if a bitter taste invaded his tongue. “Did you… fight with him? Did you… argue?” 

Hongjoong blinked in surprise at the unexpected question, and then frowned. “Did we… argue?” he repeated. 

“I merely wanted to know if you had survived such an encounter as well,” Yeosang said quickly, glancing up but not meeting his eyes. “Dragons are notorious for their temper… If you knew him for years, did you not fight with him?” 

Hongjoong’s lips pressed together tightly. That was a depth of conversation he was not prepared to enter into. “We argued,” he allowed, voice tight and stiff. “But we were allies. He did not harm me- not more than any human could in an argument.” 

“Did you apologize?” 

Hongjoong shook his head, bewildered. “You ask very curious questions.” 

Yeosang dropped his head. “I-I merely- I only meant-” 

“I did,” Hongjoong said quietly, examining the stones of the hallway. “Surely, you could never hope to wait for them to apologize first. Their pride is too great.” He shook his head sharply as a needle pierced his heart a little too painfully. “But that is enough talk of dragons. You should rest before dinner.” 

Hongjoong asked a servant to show Yeosang to his chambers. 

The prince and his father stayed for two days before the king returned to his own kingdom, bidding Hongjoong farewell and thanking him for his hospitality. Yeosang offered him a mirthless, but genuine smile that barely showed on his lips. 

Hongjoong returned it. 

The first snow fell. 

Hongjoong sat alone within his chambers, warmed by the man-made flames in his hearth, and tried to continue reading his correspondence by candlelight, but his eyes were strained and tired after a long day. 

He sighed, pushing the papers away, glancing at the door to his balcony out of habit, not surprised to find it still closed. He turned away, almost wondering how long it would take before he stopped looking. 

Never. 

Because Seonghwa was not gone. Seonghwa was scared. And once he calmed, he would return. Of this, Hongjoong was sure. Of this, Hongjoong had no doubt. 

Perhaps it would be decades into his short human life, but it would be nothing but a small passing of time to Seonghwa- but he would return. 

Hongjoong knew Seonghwa felt something- something like what Hongjoong felt. If not, he would have  _ forced  _ Hongjoong to leave. He would have killed him, hurt him irreparably- but Seonghwa  _ felt  _ things. 

And that gave Hongjoong hope to keep looking. 

Hongjoong changed into his warmest night clothes, inhaling sharply to blow out his candles- 

The doors to the balcony burst open, sending his papers flying and extinguishing his candle, casting him into half-darkness with only the heart still blazing as he jerked around, knocking over the blow-out candle. 

His heart leapt to his throat as he raced to the doors- 

Hongjoong froze as a man lay on his balcony, groaning and struggling to lift himself up. 

A man who was not Seonghwa. 

Hongjoong’s mouth opened, but no sound came out as he realized the man was bleeding heavily from several cuts along his arms and back. 

“Are you-” 

At his voice, the man looked up sharply, staring at him almost in fear. 

Hongjoong fell silent, frozen in place as the man panted heavily- clouds of white escaping his lips. “You-” he panted. “You’re the king?” It was half-question, half-awe. 

Hongjoong nodded dumbly. 

“You- We- Seonghwa-” 

The last thing Hongjoong expected to come from the man’s mouth (perhaps he was more of a boy- clearly younger than Seonghwa’s marble appearance) was Seonghwa’s name. 

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong demanded instinctually. “What- Why are you speaking of him?”

“He-” The boy pointed towards the East. “He- He’s hurt- I-I didn’t know where else to go- I _ - _ ” Whether exhaustion or distress, his words made only enough sense for Hongjoong to catch the main horror. 

Seonghwa was hurt. 

And once more, we see the absolute necessity of having a human within our story. 

A dragon may hesitate. May weigh his pride against his heart or contemplate for far too long to help the one they had previously fought with. 

But our human… our human followed only his heart. 

“Can you take me to him?” Hongjoong demanded, rushing forward, helping the man to his feet. 

The boy swallowed. “I- Yes, I can- He’s by the base of my mountain-” 

“Hurry,” Hongjoong urged. “Transform, and I can ride you.” 

The boy blinked, shocked, but at Hongjoong insistence, he leapt into the air beneath the balcony and transformed into a dragon- smaller than Seonghwa’s- a more brilliant emerald than the trees of the mountain and browns richer than the earth of the hills. 

Hongjoong climbed on when he lifted himself to the balcony, clinging as the dragon raced off into the night- perhaps a bit gentler than Seonghwa took off with Hongjoong clinging to him. 

“How was he hurt?” Hongjoong yelled over the icy wind that numbed his face, even if the dragon’s scales were warm enough to keep his fingers from freezing. “How badly?” 

“ _ He… He was helping me, _ ” the dragon said breathlessly. “ _ They- There were dragons from the north- ice dragons- who came down with the cold weather. They- They always try to steal nests when they migrate, and I-I couldn’t fight them off- _ ” 

There was a stretch of silence where Hongjoong only prayed for the dragon to fly faster. 

“ _ He came to my aid _ ,” he continued on, words coming a little faster. “ _ But he- we fought them off, but he- he’s hurt- _ ” 

“How badly?” Hongjoong repeated. 

“ _ Ice dragons- They- We’re weaker against them _ ,” he said, trying to sound calm. “ _ He- He’s injured, but the- the temperature- There _ !” 

The dragon suddenly dove, Hongjoong’s bottom half lifting off of his back as his hands clung to keep him on, gritting his teeth against the icy, bitter wind. 

Through his eyes that squinted through the bitter winds, he saw a black form laying among white snow and trees that had been crushed, his body laying at an angle that spoke of falling, rather than landing. The snow around his body had melted, leaving a ring of exposed earth. 

The dragon hit the ground a little too hard, nearly throwing Hongjoong off, but that was by far the last thing on his mind as he jumped down- the distance a little too far, and his knees buckled, but he was already stumbling through the snow towards the fallen beast. 

“Seonghwa!” 

It was too similar to the moment when they fell, and Hongjoong couldn’t tell with enough certainty that Seonghwa was breathing or that his heart was beating. 

Hongjoong ran the length of his body, eyes trailing in the darkness over the red that was almost invisible against the black of his scales, but that was stark against the snow. 

“Seonghwa-” He reached the head of the dragon, dropping to his knees and reaching forward, afraid to touch him. He turned, seeing the other dragon approaching slowly, expression hidden. “We can take him back to the castle,” Hongjoong said, trying to remain calm, but he knew nothing of how to tell if a dragon was breathing. “How- How can we get him to turn back?” 

The dragon’s tail broke through a tree as it swung nervously. “ _ He has to change himself back _ .” 

Hongjoong cursed, turning back to Seonghwa, lips pressed together as his fingers began to feel numb. He touched Seonghwa’s snout and found it much colder than it had ever been. He cursed again, fist forming against the hard scales. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ,” he hissed, hitting his snout. 

The dragon didn’t even shift. And Hongjoong knew he would never be strong enough to make him. 

He turned back to the other dragon quickly. “I need you to press on one of his wounds,” he ordered, and the dragon took a step back, head rearing. 

“ _ You want me to what _ ?” 

“We need him conscious to turn back- unless you’re telling me you can carry him while he’s like this?” Hongjoong demanded, voice shaking as he shivered slightly. The dragon shook his head slowly. “I’d never be heavy enough to make a difference. Don’t make anything worse, but we need to get him awake  _ somehow _ .”

The dragon still looked hesitant, but he seemed to understand the time limit they were operating within. He stepped up beside Seonghwa, lifting a paw and placing it against a gash on his stomach. 

It wasn’t violent, but Seonghwa thrashed weakly, tail swinging and head twitching as his breathing began to turn labored. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ,” Hongjoong said sharply, even if the dragon’s eyes hadn’t opened. “Seonghwa- turn into a human- We need to carry you back- Change back!” 

Hongjoong didn’t even know if Seonghwa could hear him through delirium and pain, his tail and head falling limp, like he didn’t have the energy to keep moving, his chest continuing to heave. 

“Come  _ on _ , Seonghwa, let me help you for  _ once  _ in your  _ stubborn  _ existence,” Hongjoong forced through gritted teeth the longer Seonghwa didn’t comply. 

There was a visible stutter in Seonghwa’s breath- his tail slamming against the ground, as if trying to signal a distress- 

The dark mass shrank until a battered human body lay before Hongjoong, unconscious- or as good as. 

“Help me,” Hongjoong snapped, already lifting Seonghwa’s upper body that resisted with limp lolls of his head. Hongjoong didn’t look at where the blood was coming from, placing Seonghwa’s arm around his shoulders and lifting him, trying to keep from jarring anything. 

It felt like hours that it took to get him onto the dragon’s back without either of them falling, even with the dragon trying to help them. 

Hongjoong sat behind Seonghwa, both arms pressing against him as his hands hooked into the dragon’s scales. “Go slow,” he ordered. “I don’t want either of us flying away.” 

The dragon did his best- weighing against urgency and the delicateness of humans. 

Seonghwa remained unconscious, leaning completely against Hongjoong who struggled against his weight and the force of the wind pressing against them, his muscles aching as he struggled to keep them upright. 

Seonghwa’s usually heated body was still warmer than Hongjoong, but it seemed so cold… 

The dragon stopped at the balcony of Hongjoong’s room, helping tilt to let Hongjoong slide off with Seonghwa, barely catching him from hitting the ground, breathing heavily with his lungs stinging in the cold air. 

He dragged Seonghwa into his chambers, the dragon transforming back into a boy and helping lay him on the bed, Hongjoong sitting and staring at the battered body, his heart slowly rising to his throat. 

“What… What do we do?” Hongjoong panted, looking to the boy. “How do we care for him?”

The boy rubbed his arms nervously. “He- It’s too cold,” he said quietly. “We need-” His eyes fell on the fireplace that was burned down to barely-flaming embers. “That!” he said, rushing over and peering down at him. “Get him over here!” 

Hongjoong frowned. “The fireplace? It won’t burn him?”

“Not something as weak as this,” the boy assured him, running back over and grabbing Seonghwa’s legs. “Hurry,” he urged, and Hongjoong complied, too unknowledgeable on the subject to really fight the boy. 

“What about his wounds?” Hongjoong asked as they moved the limp body. 

“He can heal them once he’s warmed,” the boy assured him. 

Even as Hongjoong complied, his mind yelled for him to stop. He was putting a human being into a fireplace. 

But he wasn’t. Seonghwa wasn’t human. It wouldn’t hurt him, it was going to help him. 

(That’s what he kept telling himself.) 

Hongjoong helped the boy lay Seonghwa in the fireplace large enough to fit a human (he had never considered measuring it in such a way before). Seonghwa was placed atop the barely-present flames and burning embers, and Hongjoong waited with his breath stuck in his chest as the boy reached with his bare hands to disturb the coals, bringing a bit more fire rising to the surface. 

He waited for Seonghwa to cry out in pain. For his clothes to catch fire or his skin to begin to burn. 

But he didn’t. He simply laid there, almost seeming asleep. Almost peaceful, if not for the blood along his abdomen and arms, the flames licking at him like the gentle tide of an ocean. 

But Hongjoong allowed himself to breathe out, a little sliver of relief digging into his heart, his shoulders falling. 

For now, he could believe, Seonghwa was okay. 

“You truly do care…” 

Hongjoong stiffened, almost forgetting that he was not alone, turning and finding the boy staring at him curiously, frowning in confusion and wonder. “What?” he questioned stiffly. 

“You care… about dragons,” he said quietly, expression twitching. “You ran in the middle of the night, following a complete stranger who should have been your enemy… to save another who should be your enemy.” 

Hongjoong’s jaw flexed tightly. “You are not my enemy,” he said firmly. “I passed those laws to be rid of that.” 

“Yes, but I never believed you could have meant it,” the boy scoffed in disbelief. “We waited for you to surely use our lack of aggression to attack.” 

“I would never!” Hongjoong said sharply, eyes hardening as he looked at the boy. “I have spent  _ years  _ attempting to convince Seonghwa of the same thing-  _ All  _ I desire is peace for both our kind. Seonghwa proved that dragons were not what we thought, and did not deserve the treatment they received-  _ Why  _ can no one believe that I truly only desire for the wars to cease?” he demanded, eyes aflame after so long. 

The boy stared at him for a moment, still frowning. “Because you are truly the only human who has ever wanted that.” 

“And  _ Seonghwa  _ was the only dragon who ever aided, rather than attacked!” Hongjoong burst, chest tightening. “And  _ still _ , I trusted him! Am I not trustworthy simply because I am human?” he snapped, that anger realighting in his heart. “I trusted  _ him _ , but he cannot trust my word.  _ Me-  _ a human whose life could end so much more easily than Seonghwa’s! A break in  _ my  _ promise means a return of hardship for you, but a break in  _ his  _ promise brings about instant death for me and my people! And  _ still _ , I trust him more than he ever trusted me!”

Hongjoong was afraid to call the ache in his chest ‘betrayal.’ 

The boy stared on, eyes clear and young as they watched Hongjoong, not sure what to do. Hongjoong suddenly felt too young, despite staring at someone who seemed nothing but a child. He felt like he was back in that first year- before Seonghwa entered his life- as he struggled each day to remain afloat in his kingdom. 

The heaving of his chest lessened with each moment that passed that the boy said nothing. 

Hongjoong swallowed some of the bitterness. “What even is your name?” he demanded, voice rougher than intended as he tried to fill the silence, but if the boy minded, he showed none of it. In fact, his lips twitched. 

“He said you were obsessed with those,” he murmured good naturedly, making Hongjoong’s heart skip. “San,” came the crisp reply. 

Hongjoong nodded slowly. “San… the dragon who lives on the mountain.” 

He shrugged easily. “Dragons have no need of complex names.” 

“Of course,” Hongjoong said dryly, glancing back at the hearth. Seonghwa lay still, his eyes closed gently. “Is he…Will he live?” It pained him to ask, but he needed to know. 

“Most definitely,” San assured him, turning away and looking around Hongjoong’s chambers with fascination. “Now that he is out of the cold, he will be fine by morning.” 

Hongjoong trusted San’s knowledge on dragon health more than his own, so he released a breath of relief, sitting in the chair by the fire when his knees became a little weak. 

Seonghwa was still and silent as Hongjoong stared, his usually marble expression softer without the anger to color it. It was perhaps the first time Hongjoong had ever seen Seonghwa this peaceful. 

Hongjoong hadn’t realized how empty his chest had felt until it slowly started filling, pressing against his eyes and his throat, making it hard to breathe as he stared at the other. 

“You are most peculiar.” 

Hongjoong tore his eyes away from the hearth to find San holding a sword he had removed from Hongjoong’s wall. It was down in his hands, while San frowned at Hongjoong. 

“So you’ve said,” Hongjoong replied, waiting for San to state his point. 

The boy lowered the sword farther, his frown deepening. “What would you do if he died?” he asked bluntly. 

Hongjoong felt like a fist had slammed into his chest, jarring and hurting. “If he _ \-  _ Why would you ask that?” Hongjoong demanded, voice a little weak. “You said he would live,” he pressed desperately. His shoulders curled, flashing through every possibility that San had lied to him, that Seonghwa would die- 

“What would you do?” San repeated, not answering his questions. “If he died?” 

Hongjoong’s mind seemed to have lost its sense, his vision spinning as he tried to imagine… 

If he had truly died that night they fell. If Hongjoong looked back to the hearth, and Seonghwa’s chest no longer rose with breath… 

What would he do? 

How would he ever cope with losing someone else? 

His hands shook, even at the hypothetical. “I…” His voice was hoarse as he stared at Seonghwa, determined to see the rise and fall of his chest. “I… I would mourn him,” He breathed, unwilling to look away from his friend, the seed planted in his mind of the dragon’s mortality. “Perhaps… more intensely than I have ever mourned another, after my brother…” 

Hongjoong had not seen Seoghwa for two months, yet he couldn’t think of what he would do if he never returned… 

“You would mourn our kind?” 

“There is no your kind or mine,” Hongjoong said firmly, hands gripping each other tightly. “Seonghwa has a soul… he was my friend… I would mourn him as I would any human.” His grit his teeth. “He will not die,” he managed firmly. “He is much too stubborn.” 

“A stubbornness you have suffered from, am I correct?” 

Hongjoong finally managed to look at San who had set the sword down, looking at Hongjoong with eyes that no longer made him look like a boy. He looked ancient. Like Seonghwa. 

Hongjoong’s throat caught. “What do you-” 

“You may not know it, but you and Seonghwa are the talk of dragons everywhere,” San assured him, leaning against his desk. “Some good, some bad… but you are the most fascinating thing that has happened in centuries.” 

His jaw tightened. “He is horrendously stubborn. We have fought before,” he said stiffly. “He is averse to our friendship… though I know he does not truly believe it to be fake.” 

“And how do you know that?” San asked curiously. “What use could a dragon have with a human?” 

“You seemed to need a human only hours ago,” Hongjoong said sharply. 

San’s eyebrows went up before his lips twisted in a smirk. “You make a good argument…” He nodded. “Why, then, do you believe Seonghwa does not truly despise you?” 

“All of his actions point to the contrary,” Hongjoong murmured, staring at his knees. “Despite the words he uses to hurt me… it is only ever words. He has never used his far superior strength to harm me seriously. And those words have only been used to cut me… when I got too close…”

The brief fight in the woods did not count. Hongjoong attacked first. 

“Too close to what?” San asked, leaning forward with genuine intrigue. 

“The truth, I suppose,” Hongjoong murmured, tracing his eyes over the cracks of the stone floor. “I said he was afraid of me… I only wished to know why. It was that argument that lead to his disappearance for nearly two months, now....” 

“Two months is not much for a dragon,” San reminded him. 

“I know,” Hongjoong assured him, glancing up. “That is why I was not giving up hope. What was forever for me… was but a moment for him.” He looked back to the ground, his chest heavy. 

“Truly curious…” 

“I understand that you see me as a strange human,” Hongjoong muttered, a bitter laugh on his lips. “But it does not change anything. I still see Seonghwa as my friend… I will still help him, even if he has hurt me. He aided me first, against his nature… It is only right that I do all in my power to return it.” 

No matter how Seonghwa fought him. 

It didn’t matter. 

Hongjoong had been alone for far too long to run from a companionship that was less than ideal. It made him feel a bit desperate, clinging to Seonghwa so ardently… But, truly, as soon as Seonghwa made it clear he genuinely hated Hongjoong, he would step away. 

Seonghwa had yet to do that. 

“Well, I was actually calling you curious because how you speak of Seonghwa is not as a friend.” 

Hongjoong whipped around, mouth open to speak. 

What he planned to say, he didn’t know. 

But San was suddenly laughing, loud and genuine as he bent over, clutching his stomach. Hongjoong froze as the dragon clung to the desk to keep himself upright. 

“What?” he demanded, fingers gripping the arms of his chair. 

San shook his head, waving a hand at Hongjoong. “Don- Don’t worry yourself with it,” he managed around his chortles. “It- It truly would not be funny to you-” He snickered, covering his mouth. “A bit of… a dragon’s inside joke.” 

Hongjoong frowned, not quite liking the sound of that, but San held up a hand genuinely. “I am not mocking you,” he swore, still chuckling. 

“What do you mean that I do not speak of him is not like a friend?” Hongjoong demanded. 

“Nothing,” San assured him, something a little calmer in his expression. “You and Seonghwa are perhaps closer than any two dragons could hope to be. Perhaps, any two humans, as well. He may refuse you, but humans are much better at discerning emotions than us. I believe that you see more than Seonghwa allows you.” 

Hongjoong was still on edge, but San became interested with the documents on his desk, and Hongjoong turned back to Seonghwa, still atop the smouldering coals. Hongjoong leaned forward as he realized the large scrapes along Seonghwa’s arms had healed. 

He glanced back and saw San moving easily, without the pain of his wounds to burden him. 

And somewhere between noticing that, and being grateful that the two of them were alright, Hongjoong fell asleep. 

Now… 

The human heart is a very curious thing. Many will tell you that emotions originate from the mind, but it is truly our hearts that bring about the actions we follow when we feel those emotions. 

It is our heart that makes up leap for joy and sob in pain and run in fear. 

The mind does not control the heart. The heart cannot be controlled. The heart runs on its own, and does as it pleases- even if it confuses the mind with actions and emotions the mind never expected. 

The heart enjoys keeping the mind on its toes. 

And the dangerous part of this…. Is that the heart cares not to warn the mind of its intent. It cares nothing for warning the mind that it is about to unleash every emotion it has been storing. 

The mind is sometimes overwhelmed. 

Our heart often overrules our mind- sometimes to our detriment and sometimes to our benefit. 

But the truly, truly dangerous moments… are the ones where we aren’t sure which category we fall into. 

Those brief moments of limbo where nothing is good nor bad, and the entire world stops spinning. Because, often times, it is our own actions that decide whether the scale tips towards anger or glee. 

Dragon hearts do not experience this so much. Perhaps you will find one who values that their heart says, but dragons are ruled by their minds. (Or they are supposed to be.) Dragons care naught for the tidal wave in their hearts. 

But our human? Our poor, kind-hearted, emotional human? 

He is drowning in it. 

~~~~~~~~

Kim Hongjoong awoke to quiet. 

He awoke and opened his eyes slowly, his neck aching from the position he sat in, straightening in the chair he didn’t remember falling asleep in. He scrubbed at his eyes that itched with exhaustion, blinking away sleep to stare blankly at the cold heart before him. 

The hearth…. 

Hongjoong shot to his feet at the empty space, whipping around and finding his chambers vacant. Hongjoong’s heart plummeted. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ?” he called frantically, racing to the balcony and tearing open the doors. “San!” His voice echoed around the snow-covered grounds as he leaned over the balcony, trying to see. 

The pure white around him was not broken by the dark mass of dragons. 

Hongjoong wondered if the two of them had simply left. They must have. 

Seonghwa must have left again. 

But Hongjoong could never be satisfied until he saw him safe. He turned, bare feet freezing on the cold stone as he raced to the door of his chambers, tearing it open to run to the stables. 

Or that was his plan until he nearly ran into someone on the other side carrying a tray. 

The person turned skillfully, only causing Hongjoong to crash into their side, rather than the tray of food. He stumbled back, still delirious from sleep, catching himself on the doorframe as he looked up- not sure if he was going to berate the person or apologize- 

Hongjoong choked on nothing. 

Seonghwa glared at him in annoyance as he straightened the tray in his hands. 

Hongjoong felt like he was falling as he stared at the other, letting go of a long breath as he clutched at his chest, head falling as he felt dizzy with relief. “Thank the gods,” he breathed, looking back up at Seonghwa, seeing him standing. Breathing. Alive. 

Seonghwa brushed passed him. “Why are you running around like a lunatic in your night clothes?” he muttered darkly, placing the tray down on the table with perhaps too much force, knocking over one of the empty teacups on it. 

Hongjoong closed the door, turning towards the other. “Where is San?” he demanded. “When did you wake? Why did you not-” 

“San returned to his nest,” Seonghwa replied stiffly, not looking at Hongjoong despite the fact that the tray had been set down and he had no reason to keep facing away. “He did not wish to stay away, lest a northern dragon attempt to take it again.” 

“He was alright?” Hongjoong questioned. 

“Perfectly,” Seonghwa said shortly, voice dark. 

The snow held nothing compared to the ice in Seonghwa’s stance. 

Hongjoong rolled his lips. “And you?” he asked quietly. “How do you feel?”

“I am perfectly fine,” he snapped, still not turning. “San had no reason or right to fetch you- He panicked over something that was inconsequential-” 

“You were cold,” Hongjoong broke in quietly. “Seonghwa, I felt you- You can’t tell me you were fine-” 

“ _ I  _ do not recall asking for your help,” Seonghwa snapped, turning to glare over his shoulder, eyes like molten metal. 

“No,” Hongjoong returned sharply. “You did not- you were  _ unconscious  _ in the snow at the time.”

Seonghwa looked prepared to shout back, but he stopped, facing away from Hongjoong and bracing his hands on the table, knuckles white and almost seeming to shake. 

Hongjoong waited, lips pressed together tightly, waiting for whatever jab or insult Seonghwa decided on. 

Seonghwa let go of a slow breath, his shoulders falling and then tensing once the breath was finished. “Why did you help?” he grit out. 

Hongjoong drew up short, frowning and resisting the urge to yell. “What does that mean?” he asked quietly, arms crossing over his chest defensively. 

Seonghwa still did not turn, his shoulders a tense line. “Why… did you go with San to help me?” It almost seemed like he was having trouble speaking, the words stiff and angry. “Why-” There was a pause. “I believe when we last saw each other, I was throwing your brother’s death in your face.” 

Hongjoong still felt his chest twist. “You were hurt.” 

“So were you.” 

The words… They were heavy. 

Hongjoong would almost be foolish to call them regretful. 

Hongjoong felt like the air had been knocked from his lungs, stunning him. He remembered the utter rage at Seonghwa’s words, the desire within him to only hurt for once, rather than being hurt- 

But Kim Hongjoong was a genuinely good person. 

“I wouldn’t condemn you to death just for acting defensively,” Hongjoong said stiffly. “I said before… you are afraid of something, Seonghwa. And I cannot for the life of me understand what it is… but I pray to all the gods that it is not me.” 

“Why?” Seonghwa scoffed, shaking his head. “Why wouldn’t you wish me to fear you?”

“This may surprise you, but I do not enjoy having my friends afraid of me.” 

“How can you still believe that?” Seonghwa hissed, finally turning, his eyes almost accusing. “How can you stand here- before someone who has hurt you, who has betrayed your trust, who has mocked and insulted you…” His expression twisted. “How can you stand before me and not find  _ utter  _ delight in my death?”

Hongjoong… had been asking himself that question since this all began. 

“Tell me you meant it.” 

Seonghwa’s expression stuttered, that darkness flickering in confusion. “ _ What _ ?”

Hongjoong felt like he was shaking, but his voice was steady. He stared Seonghwa in the eyes, refusing to look away. “Tell me you meant it,” he repeated, voice quiet. “What you said about bastards leading… what you said about my brother…” It made his chest ache. His fists clenched at his sides. “Tell me you meant what you said. And then I will reconsider my stance of naming you a friend.” 

It almost felt like an ultimatum. 

Like Hongjoong was standing over a cliff, holding onto Seonghwa, giving him one choice for whether or not he was dropped. 

There had been so many times that Hongjoong could almost believe that it was him that held a power over Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa stared at him, his expression unreadable, but Hongjoong saw flashes of guilt and horror and fear and anger and hate and something fragile- 

But Seonghwa said nothing. 

Hongjoong waited. Waited what felt like centuries. Seonghwa only stayed completely still, as if he could slip by Hongjoong. 

But he said  _ nothing _ . 

Hongjoong’s chest tightened as he managed to swallow around the lump in his throat. “Why do you ask why I do not hate you… when you do not hate me, either?” 

Hongjoong waited for the sharp snap of “ _ I do _ !” 

But it never came. Seonghwa looked on the verge of being ill. He looked like he wanted to run again. 

“Don’t run,” Hongjoong begged, shaking his head. “If you truly do not feel fear- if that is not what I see in your eyes- do not run from me, Seonghwa.” 

“ _ Why _ ?” Seonghwa hissed, fists clenching and shaking. 

He looked on the verge of breaking. 

“Why do you keep  _ haunting  _ me?” Seonghwa demanded through gritted teeth- torn between anger and desperation. 

Hongjoong stared, lips parting to speaking, but nothing would come. 

“You could have left before I woke this morning,” he breathed, throat dry. “But you did not. You have always returned to my side, Seonghwa- when even my brother could not.” 

Seonghwa’s jaw jumped. Hongjoong swallowed, even if it made his stomach ache. 

“I told you… I have spent my life alone,” Hongjoong breathed, something powerful and fierce coursing through his veins. “And by all the gods, I will not let myself be alone until you can look me in the eyes and tell me you will never see me again.” 

Their eyes locked together- fiery and afraid- and Hongjoong would not look away. 

_ He would not _ . 

Seonghwa’s mouth worked, as if building up the courage to speak. 

Nothing came. 

Hongjoong was so tired of being alone. And Seonghwa was the first person who took that away from him. 

“Despite your attempts to convince me of the contrary, you are a good person, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong managed, expression twisting. “I don’t understand why it disgusts you to be seen as such- but you aided me. You aided me in battle, and you remained at my side to help me rebuild both our worlds… I wanted them to be  _ one _ world. I wanted to repay you… to right all the wrongs our people have done… And you aided me in that, even if your nature told you not to.” 

Seonghwa was shaking. Hongjoong didn’t know what the dragon was thinking. He couldn’t see past the eyes that held every emotion the other was capable of feeling. 

Seonghwa showed more emotion in this moment than all the years before. Hongjoong felt no joy in that. 

Hongjoong ached in sympathy for him. 

“I do not know why fear makes you want to hurt me, to shove me away,” Hongjoong rasped, taking a step forward. Seonghwa’s back was pressed against the table, giving him nowhere to go. “But Seonghwa… do you not understand… Do my actions not tell you… how absolutely terrified I am of being alone again?”

Another step. 

Seonghwa only stared, one hand bracing against the table, his lips white with how hard they pressed together, looking ill. 

Hongjoong paused. 

“Do not leave again,” Hongjoong begged weakly. “Unless you truly plan to stay away…” His voice caught. “Unless you truly plan to never return… do not leave, Seonghwa. Do not keep toying with me.” 

Hongjoong felt like he wasn’t in control of his body. He had lost control of it the moment he saw Seonghwa when he woke. 

He just wanted to stop the games. 

He only wished for peace between the two of them- either in way of healing whatever bridge had formed or of putting their acquaintanceship to rest for good. 

Seonghwa’s eyes traced Hongjoong’s face, as if noticing something about it for the first time. “What would you do?” he whispered, voice almost lost in the quiet murmur of the castle. “If I never returned?” 

Somehow, the pain in his chest was worse than San’s question of if Seonghwa died. 

Hongjoong’s expression twisted, his hand coming up to grasp above his heart, wishing that people would stop hurting it so… 

He stared at Seonghwa who was testing him- for what Hongjoong didn't know, but the question was cruel and made Hongjoong want to shake the other because how could he  _ not already know the answer- _

And, in that moment, Kim Hongjoong’s heart overtook his mind. 

Emotion trumped reason and logic. 

There was no signal in Hongjoong’s mind to move. There was nothing that told him to do something. 

There was simply the ache in his chest, and then his lips were on Seonghwa’s. 

The dragon had to bend slightly to reach his lips, Hongjoong’s fingers curling in the threads of his hair at the base of his neck, pressing against him hard, eyes squeezed shut as his chest exploded, pain and agony dripping down his ribs and burning his stomach as he desperately held on, lips twisting together roughly. 

He was afraid. 

Afraid of what this meant. 

And for one, limbo moment, Seonghwa did not move. 

Neither shoved him away nor pulled him closer. 

Hongjoong suddenly didn’t know what he was hoping for in that moment. 

But it lasted nothing more than a moment. 

Seonghwa’s body melted against Hongjoong’s- softening from the marble he held himself in, until it no longer felt like kissing stone. 

Hongjoong dared allow himself to feel hope as Seonghwa’s lips moved against his, hot like his skin- uncoordinated and unplanned as Hongjoong pulled him closer- silently begging him to listen. 

Begging him not leave him alone. 

Kim Hongjoong dared allow himself to feel hope. 

There was a sharp cry from Seonghwa against his lips, startling Hongjoong, but not as much as Seonghwa’s hands pressing to his chest, shoving him away hard enough that Hongjoong fell to the ground, not even aware enough to catch himself as landed hard on the stone floor. 

He looked up frantically, blood racing. 

Seonghwa stared at him, hand covering his mouth tightly. 

For the first time… For the first time… Hongjoong saw no anger in Seonghwa’s eyes. No trace of his favorite shield. No hint of his only defense. 

There was only horror and fear. As if Hongjoong had stabbed his heart and left him to bleed. 

It was the face of a man who knew his fate was sealed. 

Seonghwa turned, and Hongjoong broke the blockade in his throat. 

“ _ Seonghwa! _ ” 

The dragon stumbled, as if the word itself was a barrier he had tripped over, and Hongjoong shoved himself forward, fingers twisting in the edge of Seonghwa’s shirt, holding on like it was the only thing between him and falling. 

Seonghwa tried to keep moving, but Hongjoong used the grip to guide himself to his feet. 

“Seonghwa- Seonghwa, stop-” He begged, tears beginning to gather as regret pierced his heart more mercilessly than anything else ever had. “Seonghwa, please-” 

“ _ Why _ ?” Seonghwa practically screamed, turning around to face Hongjoong, their eyes much too close to each other. Hongjoong saw bitterness and fear and the panic of inevitability… and tears. 

Hongjoong’s grip slackened on the fabric, but Seonghwa did not use it as a chance to run. 

Hongjoong could see Seonghwa desire to bolt. But he didn't. 

And here… here is where history began to shape. 

Because in this moment that we witness… a dragon listens to its heart. 

“Why do you  _ haunt _ me?” Seonghwa demanded, expression twisted and agonized. “Why do you shadow my every waking  _ moment _ ? Why do you not run when I push you away? Why do you always-  _ always- _ forgive?  _ What  _ must I do to make you stay away?” 

He glared at Hongjoong as if trying to force him to release Seonghwa, but Hongjoong wasn’t holding onto him. 

Hongjoong was… a little frightened. Not of Seonghwa, but of whatever was tormenting- whatever  _ had been  _ tormenting- Seonghwa. 

“I told you if you wanted me to leave, you need only prove you truly desire it,” Hongjoong managed weakly, his frost aching as if he had been hacking. “Why do you lie to yourself and say that you hate me?” He demanded quietly. 

“Because  _ you  _ are the thing that will be my downfall!” Seonghwa burst, hand striking his chest as tears of every emotion rocketed down his cheeks. 

Hongjoong started, eyes blinking in confusion and then drawing down in a frown. “W-What do you mean?” he whispered. “I told you, Seonghwa- I would never attempt to harm you-” 

“Your intent does not  _ matter _ !” Seonghwa yelled, marble expression twisted and tormented. “ _ You  _ will be the end of me- and it is my own fault that I allow it, when I could simply kill you and be rid of it!” 

“Seonghwa, you are not making  _ sense _ ,” Hongjoong almost pleaded, shaking his head, lost to what the other was proclaiming. “You- You are speaking of something I don’t understand. I  _ want  _ to understand, Seonghwa, but I cannot see how I will be your downfall when the very  _ thought  _ of it frightens me more than your threats ever could!” 

A stasis fell over the both of them. Both of their breaths heavy, their eyes dark, their bodies tensed as if waiting for a blow… 

Hongjoong didn’t draw breath the entire time. 

Seonghwa did not even shift, his eyes flickering over Hongjoong as if he would pick out a solution that would cease this. 

In the end… dragon gave in before man. 

Seonghwa’s twisted expression fell to one of dark acceptance, as if he had finally accepted that his fate was sealed. He dropped his eyes, half-turning away from Hongjoong. His voice… 

It was quiet. Dull. 

“Your intent does not matter,” he murmured, body slack, as if he had given up. “You do not matter… not anymore…” He took a slow breath that shook a little, Hongjoong barely daring to allow himself the same. Seonghwa shook his head slowly. “Even if I were to kill you… I still would seal my fate. Whether you live or die, I am still doomed.” 

“Seonghwa…” Hongjoong voice failed, but propriety and pride were nowhere to be found within him. He stepped forward, eyes begging and gentle. “Seonghwa, I do not understand what you are saying, but you are scaring me. Speak to me.  _ Tell me  _ what you think threatens you so. I want to help you, Seonghwa, but-” 

“ _ Yes _ , I am sure my executioner would be a  _ great  _ help in preventing my fall,” he muttered bitterly, turning away from Hongjoong completely. 

“Seonghwa-” 

“How could you ever understand?” Seonghwa demanded stiffly- no power to his voice, only bitter, brittle anger as he looked away. “How could a human ever truly understand what threatens someone like me?” 

A human… 

Couldn’t understand… 

Hongjoong frowned, eyes boring into Seonghwa’s back, trying to understand- How could Hongjoong ever be the thing that kills him? How could Seonghwa speak of it with such assurity? 

Hongjoong would move the world to keep Seonghwa safe. 

Hongjoong approached slowly, his skin almost seeming to burn, despite the chill in the room. Seonghwa remained still as Hongjoong paused behind him, staring and contemplating for several moments before reaching out a hand and touching his stiff shoulder gingerly. 

Seonghwa flinched away, whipping around and backing away from Hongjoong, his eyes like flint as he turned back around, and began rushing towards the balcony doors-

“ _ Seonghwa _ .” 

He jerked to a halt, as if caught, but didn’t turn, shoulders shaking as his fists clenched at Hongjoong’s stern call. 

Hongjoong’s own fists curled, expression hardening “If you leave now… do not return,” He commanded, eyes burning. “If you are going to run… do not bother coming back to me. I will no longer play this game- I will not waste my life chasing you down again and again… I deserve to live better than that.” 

Hongjoong could hear each shaking breath that Seonghwa took. His stomach churned. 

“I wish to have you by my side,” Hongjoong managed, voice thick. “In whatever capacity you allow… But I will not spend my short human life chasing you. If you leave now, do not return.” 

Hongjoong felt like the worst sort of person, delivering such an ultimatum, but while Seonghwa yelled about his survival, Hongjoong had to think of his own. 

Because if he was not careful, Hongjoong would spend the rest of his life chasing after Seonghwa. Willingly. Just to keep the other by his side. 

He had spent months that felt like years waiting to see if Seonghwa would gain the composure to return to him, giving energy and hope into searching the skies. 

He could not spend the rest of his life playing this game. 

He would not. 

Seonghwa seemed to be moving against an invisible force that pushed against him, keeping him from leaving. 

What felt like an eternity passed. But Seonghwa still did not move. 

“Let me understand you, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong begged, voice nothing but a whisper as he slowly walked towards the man again. “I have begged you to join my world- allow me into yours,  _ please _ . Set aside the urge to yell and simply  _ speak  _ with me.” 

Hongjoong paused behind him, but did not touch the other, staring at his back and waiting. 

The King could not be sure what he felt for the Dragon. 

Truly, Hongjoong had shocked even himself at the sudden kiss, but he could not deny how his soul sang at the contact when Seonghwa returned it for that brief moment. 

He knew nothing of friendship- only his brother and Seonghwa to fill that void- so he certainly knew nothing of courting and love. 

But he had loved his brother. And he knew that he loved Seonghwa. 

His heart ached, attempting to discern if the two were the same or different. 

Seonghwa slowly turned. First his shoulders… and then his head… and then his legs, until he faced Hongjoong with an expression that held such fear within its exhausted eyes. 

Seonghwa’s jaw worked, tight enough to break his teeth as he looked down at Hongjoong who waited silently. 

“You… are the one thing on this earth… that could be my undoing. The only thing on this earth that I let myself feel for… And it is all because I allowed you to tame me. To break into me.” 

Hongjoongs chest tightened. 

“You are the thing that finally made me weak, Kim Hongjoong.” 

~~~~~~~~~

Here is where we see who has paid attention. 

As established, each dragon is born with a Weakness. 

Whether this was a blessing to man, to allow them an opening to kill the ancient beings, or a curse to the dragons, giving them a fatal flaw that could be exploited- no one was sure of the origin of it. 

And it could be anything. 

One dragon feared the water- too easy to drown within it. Another, refused to be around pine trees- the scent of which made it difficult for them to breathe. Another felt ill and weak around steel- making swords very effective. Another, was repulsed by the sight of white wildflowers- making it queasy at the sight. 

Some were afraid of fire, rock, smoke, loud noises-  _ anything _ . 

Some Weaknesses are more severe than others. Some cause only mild irritation, and some… seem only a few steps away from killing the beast themselves. 

However, there was one sure-fire way to avoid your Weakness: Simply do not go around that weakness. 

Avoid the water. Burn down the pine trees. Seclude yourself from humans and their steel weapons. Crush the wildflowers. 

Very simple. 

This tactic, however, becomes decided less simple when your Weakness has legs and throws itself into your den, begging for your help. 

You see, there is a reason that Seonghwa was the first dragon to ignore his mind’s call. 

There is a reason that Seonghwa’s pity was the first to be moved by a human. 

There is a reason that Seonghwa cursed that human, but could not kill him. 

There is a reason that Seonghwa stood in the king’s chambers, an ultimatum handed to him, and that he did not run away as fast as he could. 

There is a reason that after so many years of claiming hate, Seonghwa continued to associate himself with the king. 

There is a reason Seonghwa refused to show anything but bitterness to the king who had shown him nothing but kindness. 

There is a reason that when that King dragged the Dragon down into a kiss, Seonghwa returned it, melting into the sensation he had long since been starved of. 

For, you see, Seonghwa’s weakness was not his pride. 

It was his Heart. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim Hongjoong was a human being worth marveling at. 

He was a human who offered his own life in exchange for his people’s. He was a human who begged a dragon for aid. A human who kept his promise. A human who smiled and wept for dragons. A human who looked at Seonghwa with such warmth. 

A human who followed Seonghwa with such persistence. 

A human who haunted Seonghwa with guilt and bitterness at his own actions against Hongjoong. 

He was a human with more determination and drive than a hundred dragons. One who had clawed his way into kingship on accident, and who struggled his entire life to remain balanced, leaning heavily on Seonghwa, even if neither of them realized it. 

He was an amazing, kind-hearted, selfless human. 

Seonghwa was nothing but a bitter, angry dragon. 

Seonghwa felt things that no dragon was supposed to feel. Things like guilt and sadness and regret and fear. This was long before Hongjoong ever entered into his lifetime. 

Long ago, he found a secluded area of the woods- far from the human castle and far from the dragons on the outskirts- alone for decades and longer. Seonghwa hid himself away, tired of  _ feeling _ . 

Hid his aching, soft heart beneath his armor of anger and fury and pride. 

His heart bled too easily. 

Finding a fallen dragon among the woods, seeing the battlefields of hundreds of humans laying slain, casting eyes over the burned villages and forests, hearing the anguished cries of man and beast alike… 

It killed him. 

Slowly. Agonizingly. Painfully. So he hid himself away. 

And over time (a long time, even to his dragon lifetime), Seonghwa had hidden his heart so carefully among anger and indifference, that he had almost convinced himself he had managed to kill his only weakness. He could hear the sounds of battle and convince himself that those humans were getting what they deserved. 

They were nothing but bugs. Dragons cared nothing for bugs.  _ Seonghwa  _ cared nothing for bugs. 

And he didn’t. 

He had perfected his hate so carefully in his solitude. 

But it is so simple to build up walls when there are none to challenge them. Seonghwa thought his defenses impenetrable. He had managed to live decades in his indifference. 

And then the human king stumbled into his clearing and cried for his people. 

Seonghwa saw the fragile little human laying in the dirt, thrown by his horse. 

He cared nothing for bugs. 

He must kill him to protect his anger and solitude, to protect himself. 

But the human wept, not for his own life, but for the lives of his people. 

Seonghwa had stared at him through the anger of war, seemingly apathetic to the human’s tears.

See, Seonghwa’s weakness was not quite so violent as some. 

It was sneaky. 

It was smarter than the dragon. It began slow, starting as nothing more than a sensation planted in the back of his hate-filled mind as he tried to crush the human’s little body. 

The king looked as though he had walked through hell. 

Not enough to stop Seonghwa from turning him into nothing but blood on the forest floor, but he noted it. It almost made him want to laugh. 

Such a pitiful human. 

Who begged for his people’s lives, rather than his own. 

Another sensation in the back of his mind, stronger this time. Seonghwa stared at the king, whom he expected to act as every human did. But he did not. He surprised Seonghwa. 

He… impressed Seonghwa, from within the deep recesses of Seonghwa’s mind that he never allowed to see the light of day. 

Seonghwa scoffed at the pitiful king and released him, allowing him to return home as Seonghwa put as much distance between himself and the human as possible. 

(It was not enough to alarm Seonghwa. It felt like playing with the bug- sending him back to the kingdom that was burning. Seonghwa was not being kind, he was letting the king die in a more painful way than he could ever inflict. That’s what he was doing.) 

The human felt too much. Begged too ardently. Wept too bitterly. Fought too resolutely. 

It placed sensations within Seonghwa’s mind that he was beginning to be annoyed with. 

Seonghwa yelled and roared and threatened, trying to return to his precious solitude, but the king had nothing to lose. He placed himself before Seonghwa as asked for his people’s lives in exchange for his own. 

The lack of pride in this king made him sick. 

Seonghwa must either kill the human himself or give in to the pleas. 

There was too much going on with the human. Too much pitiful, prideless actions- Seonghwa did all he could think of, short of killing the human. 

Why did he not just kill the human already? 

(Seonghwa knew, but remember, he liked to pretend as if his weakness was not what it was.) 

Seonghwa desired nothing more than to quickly finish up his interaction with the human. 

Even if the human was… intriguing. Was… more than any human Seonghwa had seen before. Certainly different than any king in any of these kingdoms…. Seonghwa didn’t bother to keep track, but last he heard there was some old fool on the throne, not a child. 

Seonghwa started as he realized the king kneeling before him was nothing but a child. Humans were so small regardless, but Seonghwa recognized the youth in his face and the inexperience in his voice that trembled. 

He was but a child. 

Seonghwa felt another sensation in the back of his mind. He could not name it. He ignored it. 

(His weakness was oh, so  _ sneaky _ .) 

The human offered the dragon something in return, and Seonghwa decided that helping a human, in exchange for something, was not quite as horrendous as simply helping a human simply to get it to leave. 

(At least, that is what Seonghwa’s desperate mind convinced him of. Ignorance was his defense, his only armor.) 

He agreed to aid the human in exchange for the impossible, he fought and slaughtered other humans (humans who were not like this human), and he told the human to keep his promise or face retribution as he flew away. 

Seonghwa secluded himself once more. 

There was no relief at being rid of the human. Seonghwa wondered, in the back of his mind as the days passed, what the child was doing. 

Hongjoong kept his promise.

Seonghwa did not interact often with the other dragons, but he did honor his promise to spread the king’s word. And he waited to see the betrayal that might be enough for him to convince himself to burn the king’s legacy to the ground. 

He saw no betrayal. No sign that the king had simple thrown away their agreement now that he had what he wanted. 

Hongjoong kept his promise. 

Seonghwa never wanted to see that human again, but by the gods, his  _ heart-  _

We have established that it is very hard to listen to your heart, sometimes. Dragons, especially, cursed their hearts. But this one was a slave to his, though he struggled against it every moment of his life. (The heart is clever, though, and often sneaks its intents by without notice.) 

He convinced himself that it was nothing but a need to threaten the king once more that brought him back to the king the first time. 

(Seonghwa had gotten good at convincing himself over the decades.) 

But Hongjoong asked the impossible question. 

_ Why did you help me in the first place? _

(Seonghwa helped the human because he pitied him. Because he had seen a human weep for another, and could not let such a human die. Because this human was braver and more honest than any human who existed. 

Because Seonghwa’s heart was weak and aching as he looked at the King who had become Hongjoong. 

Because Seonghwa saw a brilliance in him that frightened Seonghwa.)

He could never say that. Could never acknowledge it.

Hongjoong was a king who only wanted to protect his people- at any cost. Seonghwa, beneath his self-believing hate, was in awe. 

Hongjoong was a human who did not fear Seonghwa. Not once, after their initial meeting did Seonghwa ever see fear in the human’s eyes, but it wasn’t bravery. It wasn’t a belief that Hongjoong could defend himself or best Seonghwa should he attack. 

It was a pure, unshakable belief that Seonghwa wouldn’t attack. 

The faith enraged Seonghwa on the surface and puzzled him beneath it. 

Seonghwa kept returning to the king. 

He hated himself. He felt like a dog on a leash, but something- something irresistible and dangerous kept tugging Seonghwa back to the king who asked for his help, once more, in keeping the dragons safe. 

For the sake of the dragons, Seonghwa convinced himself. He needed to ensure that the king remained true to his word. He needed to aid in the safety of his kind against the stupid humans. 

That is why he kept returning. 

For five years. A small time for Seonghwa that felt like… lifetimes. 

Five years of returning to speak with Hongjoong who greeted him with a joy that made Seonghwa’s heart do unimaginable things that terrified and enraged him. Five years of watching Hongjoong grow- as a human and a king- each year only showing more and more of the confidence and kindness that Seonghwa had noticed. 

Seonghwa watched Hongjoong bloom, and he… 

He couldn’t. He couldn’t stand to see Hongjoong for too long. He kept their meetings short and brisk, leaving and spending days away from Hongjoong to re-erect his walls of indifference. 

Hongjoong seemed to have no use for indifference- looking at Seonghwa with lights in his eyes, thanking Seonghwa again and again for everything he had done- 

Seonghwa had to run. 

He could not kill the human. Nor could he convince Hongjoong to scorn him. 

His only option was to run. 

Were he a true dragons, he would despise such cowardice, but survival trumped his pride, only where Hongjoong was concerned. 

The king who shone like the sun. 

Seonghwa hated him. 

Hated the king who invited Seonghwa into his world eagerly. Who  _ wanted  _ Seonghwa to be part of his world, and Seonghwa struggled against his indifference that wanted to break. 

How stupid could a human be? 

And yet Seonghwa continued to return. He continued to speak with Hongjoong. He continued to act with him. 

Seonghwa spent over five years beside this king. This king that only wished for peace, who had no pride but always had a solution, who was humbled and kind to his people and the dragons he put his entire soul into protecting. 

Dragons were their enemies. 

Seonghwa helped one time. 

And overnight, Hongjoong was fighting on their behalf, even against the wishes of his people. He watched him look at dragons with pride, with joy, with satisfaction at what he and Seonghwa had accomplished-  _ together _ , he always insisted, they did it  _ together-  _ and it… 

It did horrible things to his heart. 

Thing that were beginning to get harder to ignore. 

Seonghwa could convince himself that it was beneficial to be allies with the human, and that was why he kept returning. Dragons were being saved, and that was why he had not killed the king. 

The king who, even when falling after Seonghwa had pushed him off a balcony, still believed that Seonghwa would never harm him. 

Seonghwa wanted to prove him wrong. 

And instead, he gave in and entered into the human’s world, sitting and eating with him- Hongjoong steering their silences into topics not related to the kingdom. 

It was officially not an ally situation. Seonghwa had crossed an invisible line that could not be undone. 

He had taken the first step to his own condemnation. 

He entered into the humans’ world. 

This was the first world-changing event to take place. 

Hongjoong didn’t want two different worlds. He wanted them to exist as one. 

Seonghwa called him a fool. (He felt something stir in his chest.) 

He tried to shove it away. He tried, he tried, he tried, he  _ tried-  _ You would think centuries would make him stronger, but not even a millenia would be enough for him to brace himself against Kim Hongjoong. 

The human who kept pulling Seonghwa back in. The human he hated. The human he convinced himself he still despised, the human he was only hurmoring, he was truly a fool- such a useless being without pride. 

A man Seonghwa convinced himself daily he hated. 

Up until the exact moment Seonghwa heard him screaming for Seonghwa as he fell from the dragons they battled. 

Seonghwa could not explain that one away. 

Not even to himself. 

He could not write off the fear that had taken his heart. He could not convince himself of his own reaction being perfectly reasonable. 

The second world-changing event had taken place. 

There was no going back, even if Seonghwa hadn’t realized it quite yet. (He hadn’t realized just how far he had gone.)

Seonghwa convinced himself he was still okay. It didn’t matter because Hongjoong didn’t matter. It was a simple mistake, feeling such things. 

It would not happen again. 

And then Hongjoong fell with Seonghwa, and it wasn’t even fear in his chest that made him grab the human to protect him from the fall. 

It was an automatic reaction- grabbing the weaker man’s hand and pulling him close. 

(Seonghwa felt his heart weaken a little more.) 

Hongjoong cried, and Seonghwa ran. 

Because it hurt. 

This was the third world-changing event. The first time Seonghwa had looked at Hongjoong and felt his heart explicitly- viciously-  _ hurt _ . 

It was a breaking point for Seonghwa, who ran and didn’t look back. (Seonghwa had finally realized that it was too late. Hongjoong had broken through. Seonghwa’s walls had failed.)

He could not return. It was officially too dangerous. Seonghwa hadn’t even realized how far he had fallen until he was hitting the ground hard enough to break his own bones. 

Hongjoong had hurt him. 

Hongjoong had officially become Seonghwa’s weakness. Which meant the human could never be near him again. 

Seonghwa would not risk his life for a  _ human.  _

We stated before that it was simple to avoid you weakness. 

Unless your weakness has legs and it an overly stubborn king.. 

Hongjoong returned to Seonghwa. 

It was the first time the king had sought him out, and Seonghwa needed him gone. 

Immediately. 

Because Seonghwa was still aching. Even a month later, when he had convinced himself of his hate once more, it shattered the moment he heard Hongjoong at his cave. 

His heart ached at the pain in Hongjoong’s eyes as he apologized. And he hated the human  _ so much _ . 

_ Your eyes are human.  _

_ They’re scared.  _

The only things more terrifying to a dragon than their weakness… is someone finding out about their weakness. 

_ Why are you scared of me, Seonghwa?  _

He was not. Seonghwa was not afraid. He was not because Hongjoong was not a threat to him, Hongjoong was nothing to him, Hongjoong was only an annoyance and a burden, Hongjoong was someone he hated- 

He hated him, hated him, he had to hate him, he  _ needed  _ to hate him- 

Seonghwa exploited the only weakness of Hongjoong he could think of at the time. His brother. 

Seonghwa knew, in the moment that Hongjoong attacked him, tears in his eyes and anger in his heart, that he had succeeded in making Hongjoong hate him. 

Seonghwa placed his hands around the human’s weak little neck, and told himself to just do it. 

Save yourself. 

Kill the only thing in this world that poses a threat to you. 

Hongjoong continued to cry- helpless and hitting Seonghwa like flower petals hitting water- and Seonghwa… Seonghwa… 

He stared at the human entirely in his mercy… the one who had so truly, ignorantly believed that Seonghwa would never hurt him, would never kill him. 

The human who had done nothing but trust and smile at him. The human who had done nothing but try and save as many of their people as he could. The human who had opened his world and invited Seonghwa in. 

The human that saw Seonghwa as his only friend. 

Seonghwa released him, staring at his hands as Hongjoong hacked into the dirt. He felt… 

He felt guilt. Disgust. Regret. Self-hatred- 

He ran, and he did not look back. 

He knew only that he had succeeded in finally crossing too many lines. Kim Hongjoong hated him. 

What should have been a victory only made him lay awake for days, trying to stop his chest from aching so badly, he thought it might burst. 

He knew it was too late. He knew that with Hongjoong’s hatred, he had already sealed his fate. 

Because while he was trying to keep himself from becoming weak for Hongjoong, his chest ached at the sight of Hongjoong thriving brilliantly. 

And now that he had the king’s hatred, his chest ached at what he had lost. Even when he had convinced himself that he never wanted it. 

Hongjoong finally hated him. 

And then two months later, Seonghwa woke up to Hongjoong asleep in a chair, looking like he had been holding vigil over Seonghwa. 

Two months later, Seonghwa was suddenly facing Hongjoong again. 

The human who had dropped everything to aid Seonghwa without a second thought, according to San. The human who had looked so afraid to lose Seonghwa, according to San. 

(Honestly, San had never seen a human look at a dragon in such a way. Not even close.)

_ “He spoke of you… very fondly. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if that human-” San shook his head. “That’s impossible,” he decided without saying anything. “But he is very attached to you… He cares for you...perhaps more than you realize.”  _

_ And then San sobered uncharacteristically. “We spoke while you were injured. And I think someone needs to remind you, Seonghwa… That while you are busy obsessing over your weaknesses and the king hurting you… This human’s life is more easily ended by you in every way. Yet he values you enough to continue risking that… What does that tell you?  _

Seonghwa’s heart twisted and churned as he stared at Hongjoong. 

The human who kept coming back. 

This was the third world-changing event. 

Hongjoong kept forgiving. Kept returning. No matter the insult, no matter the anger and hatred that the human formed within his heart, it was always set aside when Seonghwa returned. 

He had no pride. 

And something that Seonghwa had once found himself disgusted with, turned into his only saving grace. Hongjoong forgave him. 

The most selfless, kind human being the world would ever see. 

Seonghwa could feel it now more clearly than ever. 

The way his heart ached. The way his chest tightened like a noose around his neck. The way his stomach churned and his heartbeat seemed to pound like thunder in the sky. The way he felt sickening relief at knowing Hongjoong had forgiven him. That he didn’t hate Seonghwa. 

And Seonghwa felt fear that dwarfed the ice in his veins when Hongjoong fell. 

San left to return to his mountain. 

Seonghwa couldn’t. He spent hours standing on the balcony, telling himself to run. 

It was too late. 

He couldn’t run. He could no longer convince himself of anything as he glanced back at the sight of the king still curled in the chair he had spent the night watching over Seonghwa. 

He couldn’t run. He couldn’t bring himself to. 

He didn’t want to. 

He wanted to keep hating, to keep running. 

He wanted to stop. 

A servant entered and asked if they wanted food, and Seonghwa used the opportunity to leave Hongjoong’s presence without leaving him entirely, taking deep breaths as the servant gave him a tray for the both of them, erecting whatever walls he could. 

Hongjoong looked prepared to cry with relief, as he ran into Seonghwa, looking as if he had been frantically searching for him. 

Seonghwa ached, but he pushed on. 

So did Hongjoong. 

It never stopped. Perhaps it would have been less painful for both of them if he had simply run. Hongjoong kept pushing, kept insisting and pressing and believing that Seonghwa was his friend. Seonghwa was a good person, Seonghwa was good- 

And Seonghwa wanted nothing more than to hate him, to turn the pain in his heart into anger. 

He tried to run- facing Hongjoong was too much, he couldn’t- 

He couldn’t, he couldn’t, he couldn’t- 

He couldn’t. 

_ “Tell me that you meant it.”  _

And with one sentence, Hongjoong had made years of running and pretending null and void.

Seonghwa wanted to break him. To finally show Hongjoong that he had been wrong about Seonghwa all along- that Seonghwa was nothing but hatred and anger wrapped in the darkness around his heart. 

Because if Hongjoong had been wrong about Seonghwa, that meant that Hongjoong was no better than the other humans. 

And that made Seonghwa right. 

All he needed to do was break Hongjoong once more, in this way, and he would be free. 

He couldn’t. 

He couldn’t. 

He couldn’t- Why couldn’t he do it? Why was he so  _ weak  _ against this human? Who was this pitiful man who controlled Seonghwa without even trying- without even  _ wanting  _ to?

Who was Seonghwa- letting him go about his life when he could end him so viciously?

He couldn’t. Couldn’t break Hongjoong. 

Once more, he could not bring his body to overrule his heart. 

He couldn’t. He could no longer convince himself. He was... He was officially too far gone. He had doomed himself by his own weakness. 

It wasn’t pretend- it was real, Seonghwa hated him-

_ “Do my actions not tell you… how absolutely terrified I am of being alone again?” _

Then he should have chosen better friends, he shouldn’t have chosen someone as cold and heartless and terrified as Seonghwa. He should have seen Seonghwa’s heart and ran for his life, like Seonghwa was too weak to do. 

_ “Do not leave again, unless you truly plan to stay away…Unless you truly plan to never return… do not leave, Seonghwa. Do not keep toying with me.”  _

It hit Seonghwa like a stone. 

Hongjoong was drawing a line. He was coming to a point where he was tired of Seonghwa’s games. 

And rather than breathing in relief and running away, knowing that this time Hongjoong would not follow him- would not haunt him…. 

Seonghwa could not look away from the king that begged him once more. 

Begged Seonghwa not to leave him alone. Begged him not to hurt him any further. 

He thought so highly of Seonghwa… placed so much trust in him, and Seonghwa’s nature urged him to crush it between his fingers. 

But his Weakness… his accursed, pitiful heart could not bear the thought of seeing Hongjoong cry again. 

_ “What would you do? If I never returned?”  _

What was Seonghwa worth to Hongjoong? It was an annoying, selfish part of Seonghwa that made him ask it. 

Seonghwa knew and regretted his own reactions to Hongjoong, but… 

What would Hongjoong do… this child who grew into a king… what would he do if Seonghwa hurt him one last time and walked away? 

The fourth world-changing event. 

Hongjoong kissed him, and Seonghwa felt only a moment of his mind tell him to crush Hongjoong before he… 

He realized that this weak… fragile little human that he had hurt again and again… This kind, selfless, brave little human that Seonghwa had lasted five long years with… This king who only wanted peace and comfort for himself… This prideless, repulsive, marvelous human… 

Somehow still chose Seonghwa. 

And in that moment… Seonghwa’s heart forgot about hate. 

For one… shining moment… Seonghwa forgot how to hate. 

It was like…nothing the dragon had ever experienced before. 

Like a sunrise. If the sun rose within seconds- a pitch darkness exploding into light that blinded and burned. Seonghwa couldn’t see anything. 

Nothing but the human he had grown with. Whom he had watched grow. 

A good person. A kind king. A persistent, fiery man that looked at Seonghwa and saw something Seonghwa could never see. 

The best in him. 

Hongjoong beat against him, from the moment they met, like sun rays upon desert sand. Too hot and too bright and a different flame than Seonghwa used to warm his body. 

Hongjoong was brighter than any flame Seonghwa had ever seen, in that moment. 

And Seonghwa basked in him. 

The king touched him. Held him. Pulled him closer. 

Seonghwa’s chest ached with something burning in his chest. Something he had never felt before. Something- like fear- that no dragon had any business feeling. 

He pushed Hongjoong away, disgust and horror at his own weakness. 

His own inability to block out Hongjoong. 

His own weakness for feeling things for Hongjoong. For wanting to dive into those feelings. 

He could not, for the life of him, understand why Hongjoong would so persistently chase him. It was as if he knew that clinging to Seonghwa would be his weakness, that the human had always planned on slipping beneath his defenses. 

It was as if the human knew how easily he could end Seonghwa. 

But Hongjoong did not know. Hongjoong was not malicious. 

There was not a malicious bone in his body. 

He was genuine. Honest. Kind. 

And it only made the pain racing through his heart a million times more painful because Seonghwa wanted what Hongjoong offered him. 

His stupid, bleeding, feeling heart had seen what Hongjoong had to offer- his kindness, his selflessness, his eagerness, his  _ purity-  _

Everything Seonghwa was supposed to scorn as a dragon… 

He had wanted his company. 

Wanted his friendship. 

Wanted his stupid, childish laughter and raucous joy at the peace in his kingdom. 

Wanted the Hongjoong he had met and grew with to remain untouched and unharmed. 

But with a single word… with a single mistake… with a single wrong step… Hongjoong could crush Seonghwa as easily as a leaf in his path. 

All Seonghwa had to do was make a single wrong decision… make one choice that finally broke Hongjoong and turned him away…

Seonghwa’s heart was the weakest part of him and Hongjoong now held it firmly in one hand, a dagger pressed to it, free to do with it- to mutilate and harm it- as he wished. 

Kim Hongjoong was the first to hold a dragon's heart. 

Our story tells whether or not he becomes the first to break one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you enjoyed this because I had a great time writing it! Hopefully nothing is too rushed or confusing!  
I will try my hardest to get the next chapter up within a week- my hectic life be willing lol~~~  
Have an amazing day and let me know what you thought!  
-SS


	3. Journey to the Center of the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS A MIRACLE!  
I’m not 100% satisfied because of how fast I wrote it, but I’m scared the next two days will leave me with absolutely no time, so I’m gonna bite the bullet!  
Please tell me what you thought!   
Thank you for all your support and have an amazing day!   
-SS

There comes a point in everyone’s life where we must weigh what we want with what we are realistically capable of having. 

Hongjoong may want his brother back, but he knew that realistically, he needed to let that ghost remain in its grave. 

Seonghwa may want to be stronger than his weakness, but he was now faced with the fact that realistically, he could never best it. 

And just so that there is no confusion on our characters: Seonghwa’s weakness did not  _ make  _ him fall for Kim Hongjoong. However, without this weakness, he likely would have remained too prideful and bitter to truly realize what Kim Hongjoong was to him. 

Likewise, Kim Hongjoong’s heart did not choose Seonghwa simply because he was the only person around him that he cared for. It merely took away other distractions that may have made Kim Hongjoong hesitate in his decisions. 

But, we’re getting off topic. 

The scene that any given castle servant could have walked in on was this: Seonghwa standing before the king, his tongue tired from the weight it carried as he spoke. And the king, listening to the dragon speak more than he had ever heard before. 

For the first time in history, a dragon willingly reveals its weakness to a human. 

“So…” Hongjoong felt like his entire body was numb, his head spinning. He grabbed the back of a chair to steady himself as his mind raced. “You… Your weakness is that you… actually experience emotions, rather than letting them be shoved beneath your rage?” He looked up at Seonghwa, expression pinched. “Is that really such a weakness?” he whispered. 

Seonghwa blew out a harsh breath that didn’t contain fire, turning away and scrubbing at his eyes. “You don’t understand dragon weaknesses,” He sighed, sounding worn, as if he finally didn’t have the energy to fight. “It is not the action itself which threatens me. It is the inevitable fall out.” 

Hongjoong watched the dragon pace slowly. But he still hadn’t left. “So it is only a danger to you… if I…” Hongjoong wasn’t sure what word to use. “Hurt you?” 

“ _ No _ ,” Seonghwa hissed, turning back around, some gold flickering in his eyes. “It’s  _ everything _ ,” he snapped. “Good or bad, it no longer  _ matters-  _ whether it is loving you or hating you- it hurts either way, and there is  _ nothing  _ I can do now.” He scoffed, turning away once more. “Whether you cast me out or invite me into  _ marriage- You  _ are now my weakness. Whether you are hurt or happy or frightened or elated- it doesn’t  _ matter  _ anymore, Hongjoong, because I will feel it regardless.” 

Seonghwa’s fist hit the wall of Hongjoong’s room weakly. If he wanted, he could probably break the stone, but it barely made a sound as he rested his fist against it, pale and shaking. 

But Hongjoong was frowning, stomach flipping as the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. 

“Seonghwa…” His lips pressed together. “I don’t… I know just as much as you about caring for someone… But everything you are describing does not sound like a weakness.” 

He thought to his brother. Who grew angry at their father on Hongjoong’s behalf. Who held Hongjoong tightly after each attack, relieved to find him safe. Who smiled when Hongjoong smiled, and sobered when he cried. 

“It sounds like love.” 

Seonghwa’s shoulders stiffened into stone. 

Hongjoong felt that it maybe should have torn his world apart more, but it only fell to the ground like a snowflake.

Hongjoong swallowed. “And maybe a dragon sees plain love as a weakness, regardless, but… humans do not. Humans spend their entire lives searching for it, eager to share in it.” 

“So I  _ love  _ you?” Seonghwa spat, words sour but not strong. “And you  _ love  _ me?”

Hongjoong’s grip tightened on the chair. “I do not know what I feel,” Hongjoong confessed. “Whether the love I feel is romantic or camaraderie, I cannot tell you. I do not have the  _ experience  _ to tell you. But, yes, I can say now… after so many years by your side and so many months without you… that yes, I do believe I love you.” 

Seonghwa was like a statue, braced against the wall and his head lowered. 

Slowly, he turned his head, glancing over his shoulder at Hongjoong. 

Hongjoong could not read the question in his eyes. “You…” He pressed his lips together. “You returned the kiss…” Hongjoong said nothing more. 

Seonghwa’s jaw tightened. “What do you want me to say, Hongjoong?” he demanded, eyes pained. 

“The  _ truth _ ,” Hongjoong pressed. “You said it yourself- you can no longer convince yourself that you act in ration manners. I want  _ the truth _ , Seonghwa.” His hands moved nervously, gesturing around them.” I want to know what you truly feel- pride and anger and what you want, put aside. I only want to know what you  _ feel _ .” 

Seonghwa glanced towards the balcony doors once more, and Hongjoong would not stop him if he ran to them again. 

He had said what he needed to- Seonghwa knew everything Hongjoong expected. Seonghwa’s choices were his own now. If he decided to let fear rule him, then so be it. 

“Come onto the balcony,” Seonghwa muttered, already turning towards it. “I cannot be suffocated in here.” 

Hongjoong hesitated only a moment before following Seonghwa, waiting for him to jump over the edge of the balcony, but he simply braced his hands against its railing, turning his head to the skies- truly seeming as if he only wanted to escape the stuffiness of the room. 

It was frigid outside, and Hongjoong had nothing but his clothes of yesterday, but he still exited the room, feeling his feet freeze to the stone. 

Hongjoong leaned against the opposite side of the balcony, waiting. The world around them was blanketed in white and quiet. It almost seemed as if Seonghwa did not plan to respond to him, but after minutes had passed, Seonghwa’s voice reached through the air like a dandelion seed carried on the breeze. 

“I already told you,” He muttered into the air, not looking at Hongjoong. “You are everything a human was never meant to be. And even while I was attempting to convince you of everything I hated about you… those were the exact things I marveled at.” 

Seonghwa had spoken of… suns and brilliance and Hongjoong, who had grown… 

Hongjoong didn’t understand it, necessarily. It all made him seem very… perfect. As if his every decision wasn’t made in a desperate attempt to pick the correct option. 

But it made Hongjoong realize just how long Seonghwa had been a part of his life. 

His father had died when he was sixteen… He met Seonghwa sometime after the next year… and Hongjoong now stood at 23. 

But he still felt like nothing more than a child. 

“You forgave me… even after how I hurt you,” Seonghwa said, almost like a side note. 

Hongjoong rolled his lips. “It was not immediate,” he assured the other. “In the moments afterwards, I thought that I should never feel anything again. There was…” He stared off into the clear blue of the sky. “There was only that pain I wasn’t allowed to feel at my brother’s passing.” 

Seonghwa’s jaw tightened. 

Hongjoong watched a bird arc through the sky. “I wasn’t allowed to grieve for him properly,” he confessed quietly, which finally drew Seonghwa’s eyes to him- cold but guarded, as if still trying to keep himself from feeling. “I stepped up as king, and was not allowed to weep for him.” He took a quiet breath, letting it settle. “I think that was the first time I cried for him, after his immediate death.” 

Seonghwa stared at Hongjoong, expression tight. “Why are you telling me this?” he asked. 

Hongjoong shrugged slowly. “It is not to force you to feel guilt,” he assured him. “But… I want you to understand…that the things you call weakness, that you spend your life avoiding… are what us humans experience each day of our lives. Emotions are not to be feared, they’re to be  _ celebrated _ .” 

“So you celebrate the pain and ache that your brother left when he died?” Seonghwa demanded skeptically.

“No,” Hongjoong said slowly, testing his words carefully. “But the pain proves that I loved him. It is evidence that I felt something for him, that I mourned him so much when he left me.” He hesitated. “Rather than my father, whom I struggled to find even enough sympathy to mourn.” 

Seonghwa’s brow pinched slightly. “You hated your father?” 

Hongjoong snorted, the sound escaping without allowing him to stop it, and he covered his mouth, apologizing quietly. “Hate might be a strong word…” He glanced Seonghwa over, looking at the confusion in his eyes. “Do you truly not know of my father and I?” he questioned.

“I spent my life pointedly ignoring everything around me,” Seonghwa said stiffly. “Be grateful I even knew your father was a king.” 

Hongjoong, despite the pain still attached to that part of his life, almost found it amusing. He chuckled, a small smile on his lips. Seonghwa cocked an impatient eyebrow. 

Hongjoong waved a hand. “It is only funny because there has never been a person among any kingdom who didn’t know. I told you I was a bastard.” Seonghwa remained still, and Hongjoong shrugged. “My father only abstained from killing me as an infant because of my brother who vouched for me. He compensated for that by keeping my brother and I as far away from each other as possible. He ignored me, his mistake, and I grew up with only the castle attendants and my brother sneaking to see me. When he died-” 

Hongjoong’s voice caught, and even as he smiled in amusement, he felt a sudden stinging in his eyes. 

“I haven’t thought of this in years,” He confessed weakly, rubbing at his eyes and finding them misty. He forced his voice to steady and his eyes to meet Seonghwa’s. “When my brother died, my father died soon afterwards to the grief-” His voice caught again, and he forced his lips to remain in a tight smile as the burning spilled over his eyes. “-the grief of losing his only son.” 

His voice broke on the last word, and Hongjoong let go of a hard breath, turning away from Seonghwa’s stony expression that showed nothing. Hongjoong stared off into the snow-covered woods, bringing a hand to cover his eyes, teeth gritting in shame at weeping yet again, tears icy against his skin. 

“ _ Cursed  _ tears-” He pressed against his eyes tightly. “I was never a son to him,” Hongjoong went on, voice surprisingly steady despite the moisture on his cheeks. “I was never taught anything of how to rule… I was never supposed to be anywhere  _ near  _ the throne.” He managed a wet laugh. “I suppose he forgot what he would do when his son died, and he left only a bastard within the kingdom.” 

Hongjoong tilted his head to the sky, blinking rapidly to disperse the tears he finally managed to stop, dropping his head down to wipe the last of the moisture away. 

There was a gentle, hot touch to his back, and Hongjoong jumped, not expecting anyone to be near him. 

Seonghwa withdrew his hand quickly, and Hongjoong’s shoulders fell from their stiffness. He chuckled again, looking away. “I suppose I am doing a very poor job of convincing you emotions aren’t so bad.” 

“Did you forgive  _ him _ ?”

Hongjoong glanced back at Seonghwa’s stony expression, and tried to see past it, to see what was truly there. He found nothing. 

Hongjoong let go of a long breath. “I suppose that’s a very difficult question… because I do not have an answer for it.” He turned away from Seonghwa, and gazed out on the land he now ruled. He placed his hands on the railing tightly. 

“Do I hate him…?” 

Hongjoong had spent every moment since his father died, trying to answer that. 

“I suppose not,” Hongjoong finally said after what felt like an eternity where they stood in silence. “I think that to hate him, I would have first had to have loved him… I do not think I ever loved him.” It tasted bitter on his tongue. “I think we are strangers… two people who never had a connection. I do not mourn him because I never felt anything for him. But I do not hate because I feel nothing for him.” 

“Even with all the hatred he treated you with?” Seonghwa pressed. “He wanted to kill you when you were nothing but a baby- a mistake that  _ he  _ made.” Hongjoong glanced back, and Seonghwa’s mask actually cracked slightly. “I am not calling you-” 

“I know what you intended,” Hongjoong chuckled lightly, feeling something in his chest loosen. He turned away once more. “Life is not all about revenge,” Hongjoong said quietly, the icy wind blowing through, making him shiver slightly. “I moved on from him, in the same manner I moved on from my feelings of dragons: by understanding that there are more important things in my life than hating.” 

Hongjoong could no longer feel his feet, nor his fingers that gripped the cold stone. 

If he concentrated, he could feel the slightest bit of warmth that emanated from Seonghwa that broke through the chilled air. 

Hongjoong let go of a long breath, the white mist of it clouding his face. 

“I cannot explain most of my decisions, because they are not made with logic,” Hongjoong confessed. “You have pointed that out many a time,” he chuckled, glancing at Seonghwa. “While you may find it a foolish way to lead, it has lasted me these many years.” 

Seonghwa was still staring at him, but he looked a little ill. Hongjoong continued to wait, having said all he intended to. 

Seonghwa turned away suddenly, walking to the railing once more and bracing his hands against it. Hongjoong remained where he was, shifting his feet to alleviate the cold. 

“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa’s voice suddenly carried quietly, like nothing but smoke through the icy air. “I understood that your brother was a weakness of yours, but I did not fully understand the weight his death held for you.” 

Hongjoong’s mind barely heard what he said, still caught on the first two words. 

Seonghwa did not look at him, and his expression almost seemed angry, but Hongjoong stared at him as if the other had just struck him across the face. 

Seonghwa had apologized. Not a simple apology, but a sincere one that went beyond the first two words. 

It took several minutes for Hongjoong to trust his voice, but when he spoke, it shook as his eyes stung once more. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, chest aching and mending as fast as it could. 

Seonghwa glanced at him, but looked away quickly.

_ I couldn’t look at you for too long… _

Hongjoong’s chest tightened. “You cannot imagine how much this means to me,” he said quietly. 

“Why should it mean anything to you?” Seonghwa scoffed. 

Hongjoong’s lips lifted gently. “Because this means that your regret at your actions outweighed your pride and desire not to feel.” 

Seonghwa shook his head roughly. “You are entirely backwards and foolish,” he sighed roughly. 

“And yet you did not leave.” 

Seonghwa looked at him sharply and Hongjoong perhaps smiled a little bit too much. 

“Thank you.” 

“For  _ what _ , now?”

“For not leaving.” 

Seonghwa looked away, shaking his head yet again. “I do not understand how you could ever choose me to be the one you align yourself with.” 

“I need loyalty and honesty, more than anything else,” Hongjoong informed him. “And I have no one who has proven those but you.” 

“Am I  _ loyal  _ to you?” Seonghwa demanded. 

“You did not leave.” 

Seonghwa’s jaw tightened, and Hongjoong was sure it was going to break into him yelling, but he seemed to have turned to stone again. 

Hongjoong truly could not believe the things the two of them had gone through together- both at the hands of each other and the world. 

How could Seonghwa still deny his dedication to Hongjoong? Anymore than Hongjoong could deny his loyalty to Seonghwa? 

“Seonghwa, I-” 

(One tender moment does not change a lifetime of conditioning. Remember this.) 

The door to his chambers suddenly burst open, causing both men to turn quickly, tensing, but all that entered was a haggard looking messenger dressed in garb that was not of Hongjoong’s kingdom. 

Hongjoong stepped quickly back into the room , shoulders squaring and stiffening. 

“Sire-” The man panted, a crumpled letter in his hand. He bowed low, stretching out his hand that shook, his clothing dropping snowflakes onto Hongjoong as he took it stiffly, his heart darkening at what it might be. “From… my master…” 

Hongjoong turned the letter over, seeing the red seal holding it together. 

He frowned, turning back to Seonghwa who had entered halfway into the room. “It is from the North,” He said quietly, turning back to open it quickly, eyes scanning. 

(I told you those two men would be important to us.) 

_ King Hongjoong,  _

_ I apologize for the briefness and assumptions of my first letter to you.  _

_ The war my people and I have been fighting to the West has finally broken into our borders. I must advance with my troops, and I do not believe the outcome of this battle will likely be in our favor.  _

_ I will have already sent my son, just a few hours behind this messenger. I beg of you to receive him and keep him safe in my absence. Forgive me for not asking your permission and allowing a proper correspondence, but please do only this one favor for your ally.  _

_ No- Rather, allow me to beg you as a father to a son. Please keep my son safe. He is all my people will have left. I will attempt to send letters to tell of our progress, but I cannot know when our battles will cease.  _

_ I promise you whatever repayment you require, but I do not have time even to ask you of that.  _

_ Please guard my son. Protect him and teach him, in my absence.  _

_ I wish you and your kingdom peace and prosperity.  _

_ The Northern King.  _

Hongjoong’s heart stuttered. 

Yeosang… 

Seonghwa took the letter once Hongjoong had lowered it, scanning it quickly. 

The messenger waited, swallowing nervously. Hongjoong forced his voice to be clear and steady. “Thank you for your service,” he said. “See one of my servants and they will give you food and lodging for the day. I will pen a letter for return to the king, informing him that I will gladly keep his son within my borders.” 

The messenger bowed low, a gracious thank you on his lips as he left quickly. 

“Who is this?” Seonghwa questioned, expression hard once more. 

“The first alliance I have made,” Hongjoong said, walking quickly to his desk and pulling his quill as he sat. “His son is not much younger than I. We signed the agreement less than two months past. For things to change so rapidly…” He shook his head worriedly. “Yeosang is a promising ruler. I think the king was wise to send him to safety while the war worsened.” 

“Is he so desperate as to do this after being in your alliance so short a time?” Seonghwa demanded. 

“He seemed to take a quick liking to me,” Hongjoong said, shrugging. “He said he believed in the strength of my kingdom. I think he may be relieved that he made the alliance in time.” 

“Unless this was his intent for the alliance all along.” 

Hongjoong’s quill paused as he glanced back at Seonghwa, frowning. Seonghwa stared back coldly. “You think he only agreed to an alliance because he knew his war would eventually turn sour?” 

Seonghwa shrugged stiffly. “It is convenient timing.” 

“What does it matter if that was the reason?” Hongjoong questioned, turning back to his letter. “The king and the prince are seemingly good people. He signed the alliance- what does it matter if his reason for it was to protect his son? I can respect such an intent.” 

“He is using you.” 

“He will honor the alliance,” Hongjoong said firmly, turning back to narrow his eyes at Seonghwa. “The reasons he chooses to honor it are inconsequential. He is not  _ using  _ me- I get the same things I was promised, regardless of whether his son comes here.” 

The rest of the letter was written in silence, and when Hongjoong turned back around he half-expected to see that Seonghwa had left, but the dragon still wandered his room, examining the things on his wall as San had. 

Hongjoong’s hands fell to his lap. “I… You can leave, Seonghwa,” he said, lips quirking quietly. “You stayed before- the threat I made doesn’t stand any longer.” 

Seonghwa paused as he examined a tapestry, turning to look at Hongjoong from the corner of his eye. “Would you have truly done it?” he questioned quietly. “Had I left? Would you truly have cut our ties?” 

Hongjoong’s air was punched from his chest, his lips pressing together, but he nodded. “I would have, for my own sake,” he said quietly. “If I didn’t force myself to, I would have spent my entire life waiting for you to return, convinced that you would.” 

Seonghwa said nothing in return, and Hongjoong squeezed his hands in his lap. 

“Would you have regretted it?” the king inquired.

Seonghwa stiffened. “Regretted what?”

“If I had cut our ties,” Hongjoong said quietly. “If you had left.” 

Silence was their thoughtful sound. 

“I do not know,” Seonghwa admitted, staring back at the tapestry as if it had the answers. “I cannot say.” 

“Does that mean the answer is yes, but you cannot bring yourself to say it?” 

Seonghwa turned to him, eyes flashing like a lantern lit and then blown out. Hongjoong only smiled gently. “You can say it. You already apologized- there is not much difference.” 

“If you already know, why do you ask?” Seonghwa demanded, lips stiff. 

Hongjoong stood, shrugging. “Because I already knew you regretted what you said of my brother,” he said confidently. “But if you say it… then it means that your regret overshadowed your pride. If you say you would have regretted leaving, then your regret once again overrules your pride.” 

“Well, I will not say it,” Seonghwa snapped- like a branch breaking, rather than a fire flaring. 

Hongjoong felt something warm in his chest. “That is fine,” he said easily. He folded the letter, his movements slowing and then stopping the longer he went in silence. He pressed his lips together as he turned back. “Seonghwa,” he said seriously. “I need you to be honest with me for a moment.” 

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “What emotion do you need me to feel now?” 

Hongjoong looked at him in disapproval that he quickly wiped away, sighing. “Simply tell me the truth,” He said earnestly. “What do you truly want?” he asked. “Between everything we have said- do you truly hate our friendship, or…” Hongjoong floundered for words. “What do you want? Will you continue to return to me?” 

Seonghwa’s expression closed off, but Hongjoong simply waited. 

The war raged within Seonghwa, and Hongjoong waited. 

Seonghwa didn’t look away from Hongjoong for once, as he unlocked his jaw. “I will not run from you,” he said stiffly. “I cannot say now about the long-term, but for now you can rest easy knowing you will get what you want.” 

“I do not want what  _ I  _ want,” Hongjoong said quickly. “I want what  _ you  _ want.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes flashed, and then died, his fists curling at his side. “I cannot know what I want, since I have never  _ wanted  _ any of this. But what I want does not matter because what I want can never be. I cannot reclose my heart, I cannot take back everything that has changed, I cannot push you away…” His lips thinned. “I can only continue as we have and see how it treats us.” 

It wasn’t a perfect answer, but it was more than Hongjoong had a moment ago. “Then you may come and go as you please,” He assured him. “This changes nothing, Seonghwa, I cannot control you anymore now than I ever could.” 

Seonghwa simply hummed, turning away for the last time. “Hongjoong, you cannot possibly think that you never cont-” 

For the second time, the door burst open, a servant rushing in looking panicked. “Your Highness, a Northern carriage approaches! They will be at the castle within minutes!” 

Hongjoong blinked. Yeosang had traveled so quickly? His father had said he was  _ hours  _ behind the messenger. “I will greet them- have everyone remain at their duties.” 

He would rather keep this small until he and Yeosang spoke.

The servant left and Hongjoong sat at his bed, shoving on his boots. “I hadn’t expected Yeosang until tonight at the earliest,” he muttered, grabbing his coat from the table and sliding it on quickly. Seonghwa watched him from across the room, and Hongjoong paused. “Will you join me to receive him?”

Seonghwa snorted. “What place would I have there?” he scoffed. 

“He was curious of you,” Hongjoong said plainly. “And if you aren’t leaving, there is not much else for you to do.” Without waiting, Hongjoong walked from the room. 

Only a few steps behind, Seonghwa’s footsteps followed. 

Hongjoong swept through the castle, telling servants to ready their guest quarters and prepare a hot meal. 

Out in the snow, his leather boots were soaked as the white clung up to his ankles. 

Hongjoong reached the front of the castle, just as a carriage broke through the trees. 

His chest tightened in preparation. How much did Yeosang know? Surely he must understand the whole situation? 

He sent a small prayer for the prince’s father. 

A few servants appeared, asking if he required the guards, but Hongjoong sent them off. As he turned, he saw Seonghwa standing at a distance, looking unbothered by his lack of coat and thick clothing. 

The carriage stopped, making tracks in the snowy road as it halted before Hongjoong. 

The lone coachman jumped down, opening the door of the carriage slowly. “We’ve arrive, Your Highness,” he spoke into the little room, stepping away to open the door fully. 

Yeosang exited, and Hongjoong would swear that it must have been years since they last met, rather than months. His eyes that Hongjoong now knew were capable of holding warmth, were just as icy as their first meeting, but this time they were hardened like stone. 

He looked older. Heavier. 

Hongjoong’s gaze was pitying as the prince stood before him- dressed in heavy coats after coming down from the North. 

He stared at Hongjoong silently as he bowed before him cordially. His movements were stiff and cold. 

“Prince Yeosang,” Hongjoong greeted quietly, his heart aching as the boy stared at him coldly. “I wish your first visit could have been on better terms.” 

“Likewise.” 

He seemed so angry, so bitter… Like a winter wind blowing through your useless coat. 

Hongjoong’s expression softened. “You may treat this place as your home,” he assured him quietly. “And know that I will be willing to give you and your people whatever they require during this time.” 

Yeosang’s eyes hardened, but they seemed brittle. As if a gentle push would crack them. “I would ask that you only answer me one question, Your Highness,” he said, voice low and dark. 

Hongjoong nodded readily. “Of course.” 

Yeosang’s lips pressed together as his muscles twitched, as if he were holding something back. When he opened his mouth, his lips twisted like he was struggling to remain composed. “Is my father going to die out there?” he breathed weakly. 

Snow began to fall around them.

Hongjoong’s heart broke. 

Yeosang suddenly did not look old. He looked very young. Unspeakably unprepared and undeserving of the situation he was forced into. 

For if there was one thing Kim Hongjoong empathized with, it was fear of losing someone.

Hongjoong shook his head head slowly. “I cannot answer that, because either answer I could try to reassure you with could end in a lie.” 

Yeosang stared at him, his lips trembling as he clenched his fists, struggling to hold himself together. His eyes grew misty as his lips pressed together to hide their weakness. 

Hongjoong wanted to embrace the prince, but knew that it was a line he wasn’t necessarily close enough to cross. 

But, to his surprise, Yeosang took a deep breath, his expression calming a bit. “I see,” he rasped. “Thank you for your honesty, Your Highness.” He bowed his head graciously. 

Hongjoong wished he had an answer for him. 

“There are quarters and food being prepared for you,” Hongjoong assured him. “You may rest after your journey.” 

“Thank you.” 

Hongjoong shifted, gesturing to allow Yeosang to pass, and whether he hadn’t noticed or just now registered the secondary presence, Yeosang paused as his eyes fell on Seonghwa who practically glared at him, a far cry from the expression Hongjoong witnessed back on the balcony. 

Yeosang’s eyes trailed up and down Seonghwa, looking half-surprised, but almost as if he expected as much. “You must be Seonghwa…. The dragon.” 

Seonghwa cocked his head, but said nothing. 

Hongjoong suddenly realized that after the fiasco that he and Seonghwa had gone through earlier, it might not be best to be around other people. 

“I will show you to the dining hall,” Hongjoong said, leading Yeosang further along. “And then a servant can show you to your guest quarters.” 

They reached Seonghwa, passing him, and as Hongjoong turned to ask if he would accompany them, Seonghwa spoke. “I will take my leave,” he said stiffly. 

Hongjoong faced him fully, mouth opening, but Seonghwa spoke over him. 

“I will return later,” he almost reassured Hongjoong. “Perhaps tomorrow. I do not know.” 

Hongjoong nodded easily, that weight taken from his chest. “I will see you when you next return.” 

Rather than transforming and flying off, Seonghwa simply began a simple walk back to the woods. 

Hongjoong watched him go for a bit too long, Yeosang’s voice jarring him from watching the other retreat. “I know not much can be said for dragons, but he is a sour one.” 

Hongjoong turned to Yeosang, startled by the blunt words, and found himself smiling quietly at the observation. “I suppose he can be, yes,” he agreed as they finally walked towards the castle. “Your arrival was a bit sudden, so I think he is simply trying to process.” 

Yeosang hummed, and Hongjoong was glad that the distraction seemed to have calmed him.

Hongjoong cleared his throat roughly. “But he truly is not as bad as he seems.” 

“Oh, I have no doubt,” Yeosang agreed as they reached the castle doors. “Looks can be extremely deceiving.” He half-smiled to himself as he said it, and Hongjoong wondered if he had spoken some sort of inside joke. 

Hongjoong lead Yeosang to the dining room. “At some point, we must discuss everything your father could not explain in his letter,” Hongjoong said carefully, watching how Yeosang’s semi-peaceful expression hardened once more. 

“Of course.” 

“We can wait until after you have eaten,” Hongjoong assured him. “It can wait for tomorrow- after you have rested tonight.” 

“You are very gracious, Your Highness.” 

“Hongjoong,” he said, smiling. “Though our stations separate us, our ages are not far. You may be comfortable with me while you are here.” 

Something shone in Yeosang’s dark eyes, but Hongjoong could not distinguish what it was. 

He left Yeosang to eat, and settled the matter of getting his letter to the messenger. He spent the rest of the evening in a meeting with several of his advisors about what they could spare to the Northern Kingdom. 

“We are struggling with our own food reserves,” an advisor told him, frowning at their bound books of records. “However, we could perhaps spare some livestock.” 

“As far as our armies go, we do have some groups we could send as aid,” one reported, pointing at their battle map. “We have not needed as much aid to our Southern and Eastern borders since the dragons have settled there in high populations. We can send a large enough group to make a solid difference to the king.” 

“Make me a full report by tomorrow,” Hongjoong ordered. “I want a full list to discuss with the prince.” 

It was late by the time Hongjoong fell asleep, the moon high in the sky and the doors of his balcony closed tightly. 

It was still freezing, even with his fire roaring. He slept with his coat on, and hoped that Yeosang was having an easier time finding rest than Hongjoong. 

He had always hated the cold. It had made his little rooms and solitude seem only more impenetrable. 

Eventually, though, his tired eyes found sleep, staring at the stairs through his door that shone like golden lanterns. 

~~~~~~~~

Now, as we progress from this part, it may seem as if we are forgetting the main point of this story. 

But it is often difficult for two people to change worlds all on their own. They require outside help, an outside push to remind them of their direction. 

We have taken the first step with Kim Hongjoong and his dragon: they have broken through the walls that Seonghwa had convinced the both of them so ardently. Seonghwa’s heart was now open and bleeding before them. 

This is precisely what they needed. 

Seonghwa is no longer able to hide behind his mask, and Kim Hongjoong is no longer struggling under his burdens of fighting Seonghwa every moment of their acquaintance. (For now.)

We have now taken the first, real step towards changing their worlds permanently. 

So, as we learn of how Kim Hongjoong and Seonghwa change worlds, they will need the aid of two others. 

Two who had destroyed and changed worlds at a much larger scale than Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong had managed in their long acquaintanceship. 

~~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong woke the following morning, freezing and aching from the temperature. 

He dragged himself from his bed, dressing in his thickest clothing and coats. He pulled on his boots, glancing towards the balcony doors and walking to them slowly. 

A gust of snow flurries greeted him as he stepped out. 

It was not a heavy snow, but Hongjoong watched the little snowflakes flutter in the icy morning air. The morning sun reflected off the white snow to make it blinding as he stepped out to look out. 

The snow was fresh and undisturbed. 

Save for a small trail of footprints cutting through it. 

Hongjoong frowned as he followed them, curving around the side of his balcony, until he saw Yeosang dressed in what looked like much too little clothing for the temperature. 

The boy stood peacefully, simply staring at the forest at the edge of the grounds, his dark clothing stark against the white snow. 

And then the boy turned his eyes skywards, his eyes flickering back and forth as if searching for something. Hongjoong glanced up, but found not even a bird darkening the sky. Yeosang continued to stare for several minutes, until Hongjoong could have imagined the boy fell asleep like that. 

“What do you search so intently for?” he called curiously. 

The prince spun around so rapidly, he slipped on the snow, tumbling into the fresh powder, turning his eyes upward and locking on Hongjoong who gasped at the sudden fall, resisting a light laugh. 

“I apologize!” he called, trying not to laugh. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” 

Yeosang’s mouth moved but never formed a word as he stood, brushing the snow from his clothing. “I did not expect anyone to be awake at this hour,” He confessed, looking back up at Hongjoong. 

He at least looked less haggard than the day before. 

“Did you rest well?” Hongjoong inquired. 

The prince glanced around, as if he was expected someone to appear. “I did,” he said easily enough. “It was much warmer within your castle than… my own.” He stuttered at the mention of his castle that he had been sent away from. 

Hongjoong tried to salvage the mood, a small smile on his lips. “I fear people in my kingdom are far more used to warmer weather. This is almost miserable to me,” he chuckled. 

Yeosang glanced around once more. “Would you join me for a brief walk, Your Highness? If it would not make you terribly miserable to do so?” 

Hongjoong straightened, feeling better since Yeosang seemed to not be quite so burdened with his troubles. “Give me a moment to come down,” he requested, hurrying through his door and down into the grounds. 

Yeosang stood where he had left him, but the prince’s eyes still looked at the skies. 

Hongjoong approached, and only when he was much too close, did Yeosang look to him. “I cannot tell you when Seonghwa would return,” Hongjoong said, turning his own eyes to the skies. 

Yeosang frowned. “Seonghwa?” 

Hongjoong glanced at him, slightly surprised. “Is that not what you were searching the skies for?” 

He made a small, quick noise of understanding as he glanced up. “I merely… I was noticing that your sky looks different than ours. It is much brighter.” 

A strange observation that sounded very stilted. Perhaps the prince was uncomfortable asking about the dragon. 

“It seems very dreary compared to our spring and summer days,” Hongjoong said thoughtfully. “You must return when it is warmer, and the trees are green.” 

Yeosang chuckled quietly as they began a slow walk through the snow, Hongjoong’s nose freezing as the breeze blew through. “I would likely faint from the heat,” he assured Hongjoong. “This is a comfortable temperature, but any warmer, and I may begin to sweat.” 

Hongjoong laughed in disbelief. “I cannot imagine how your winters must be.” 

They rounded in the front courtyard of the castle, silence around them. “I enjoy them,” Yeosang confessed. “There is no reason to leave the castle. And you may simply sit by the fireside and read. There is usually very little commotion in such deep winter.” 

Hongjoong’s brow pulled down slightly. “I beg forgiveness if I overstep, but how many dragon attacks do you usually deal with during your winters? You have ice dragons up there, do you not? They migrate to us when we become cold as well.” 

Yeosang stopped walking suddenly, surprising Hongjoong who jerked to a halt as well. The boy stared at the snow, eyes distant. “Winter is when many of the dragons are active. But they-” He glanced at Hongjoong. “I know not how much you understand of them, but our dragons breathe frost and ice, rather than fire.” 

Hongjoong had heard stories of such, but never witnessed a northern dragon near their castle. They kept further north in the kingdom, often times. 

“It matters not to us,” Yeosang assured him. “Our castle is already covered in ice. They cannot harm us, unless you face one with only your body.” Yeosang rubbed at one of his arms, as if suddenly cold. 

Not moments later, an advisor arrived, asking Hongjoong if he was ready to attend the meeting. 

He and Yeosang sat and discussed what they could provide to his father and his troops. Hongjoong was surprised by the soberness and maturity that Yeosang handled the issue. 

By the end of the day, they had arrangements of support to be sent to the Northern Kingdom. 

Seonghwa did not show himself. 

Yeosang had been staying at the castle for five days, though the prince spent most of his time outside, walking the grounds and continuing to search the skies. 

Hongjoong didn’t know what he was looking for. 

Seonghwa only arrived during one of those days for a few moments to report to Hongjoong. 

“Northern dragons are causing issue with the dragons nested around the kingdom,” Seonghwa reported, looking a little strained, but only vaguely. “Multiple fights have broken out, and both sides are suffering.” 

“Is there anything I can do?” was all Hongjoong had time to ask. 

Seonghwa shook his head as he was already backing off of the balcony to leave. “It is normal. We will simply defend our nests until they leave. It is not something to be worried about. Mine remains undesirable to them, but others are being targeted.” 

He left, but Hongjoong still worried. 

Hongjoong and Yeosang walked around the grounds during midday, when it was only marginally warmer. “Northern dragons have been causing issues with nesting,” Hongjoong informed him. 

“Have any been harmed?” Yeosang asked immediately, turning to Hongjoong sharply, looking frightened. 

Hongjoong nodded solemnly. “Both our own and the northern dragons. Nothing fatal, I believe, but there have been several injuries.” 

Yeosang’s lips pressed together tightly, his eyes turning to the skies once more. 

Hongjoong almost wondered if he was looking to heaven for his mother. He watched the prince’s profile, allowing him his moment to search for whatever he needed to- 

Yeosang’s eyes blew wide, lips parting. “Hongjoong,” he breathed, paling. 

Hongjoong looked up quickly and saw, at a distance, a white dragons being chased by two darker beasts- one that snapped at its wings and tail, the white dragon looking as if it were having trouble flying. 

Even at a distance, Hongjoong could tell the dragon was beautiful. An icy silver to its scales, and a mirror of lavender flowers adorning its chest. 

But Hongjoong recognized one of the darker dragons.

“Seonghwa!” he yelled on instinct, jerking forward a step. 

But Yeosang did something Hongjoong could have never expected. 

He ran forward, sprinting through the snow, eyes turned upward. 

“ _ Wooyoung _ !”

Hongjoong was stunned in immobility, watching Yeosang run away helplessly. 

The foreign dragon finally snapped its jaws along the northern dragon’s wing. 

The white dragon shrieked in pain, jerking its wing away. Seonghwa slammed into the side of the darker dragon, throwing it off course and screaming a bright green flame that boiled the air and melted ice off the trees that were still a distance away. 

The dragons were almost on top of them now. 

“Yeosang!” Hongjoong yelled, running after the prince who was getting too close to the battle. 

The white dragon fell. 

“ _ No _ !” Yeosang cried, jerking to a stop and staring up in horror as it plummeted, one wing curled uselessly to his side. 

“Seonghwa!” Hongjoong called, watching the beast race towards the earth.

The darker dragon finally yelped as Seonghwa’s claws raked across its neck, soaring a distance away and rushing off as Seonghwa’s flames licked at its wings. 

Before the dragon had even made a sizable distance between them, Seonghwa was racing after the northern one. 

Hongjoong reached Yeosang and yanked the prince away, far to the side of the two dragons left. 

The northern dragon suddenly shrank, until a limp human body fell through the air, one arm bleeding heavily that was clutched to his chest. 

Hongjoong’s heart was in his throat as Yeosang tried to escape Hongjoong’s hold once, but he held the prince firmly. 

The boy got much too close to the ground before Seonghwa managed to wrap his claws around him. Seonghwa soared back up to disperse his momentum, but lowered himself quickly, carefully dropping the body into the snow and landing beside it, breathing heavily. 

Yeosang tore himself from Hongjoong’s grasp, sprinting across the ice and snow, voice high and desperate. 

“ _ Wooyoung _ !” He slipped, but kept running until he was falling to his knees beside the body. Seonghwa turned and scanned the sky for any sign of the other dragon, but nothing but blue stared back at him. 

And Hongjoong finally realized that the thing Yeosang had been yelling was the dragon’s name. 

He rushed through the snow as Yeosang’s hands ghosted over the boy’s body that was staining the snow red. “Wooyoung,” he breathed weakly, voice hoarse. “Wooyoung, oh gods-” 

He cradled the boy’s head in his lap, staring down at him with pale cheeks and lips, looking desperate to do something, but not knowing what it should be. 

(These two boys laying in the snow are rather important.) 

Hongjoong reached Seonghwa, turning to him sharply. “What happened?” he demanded. 

Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong with familiar lanterns. “ _ The northern dragon wandered too close to his territory. He made no move against him, but they have been paranoid since the increase in attacks on nests. He refused to listen when he tried to explain himself. I was attempting to stop him from killing him _ .” 

Both of them turned to Yeosang sitting with the boy… Wooyoung. 

“Yeosang,” Hongjoong said heavily, kneeling down beside him, soaking his knees. 

The question of why Yeosang knew this dragon was something that would have to wait. 

“We can help him,” Hongjoong assured him as Yeosang lifted Wooyoung’s torso, cradling it gently, looking at Hongjoong with tears streaking his pale face. 

Hongjoong was surprised by the tears, but once more decided they should wait. 

“To help Seonghwa we put him in fire,” He said. “Maybe that could help Wooyoung-” 

“ _ No _ !” Yeosang burst, clutching Wooyoung to his chest protectively, staring at Hongjoong as if he had lost his mind. Hongjoong started at the violent refusal. 

“Ice dragons are not like us,” Seonghwa murmured quietly, and when Hongjoong glanced back he was human once more. “He needs cold. Out here may be best… but it may not be cold enough.” 

Hongjoong stared at the bleeding boy in Yeosang’s arms. 

Yeosang was holding him much too gently. “An ice bath,” the prince said heavily. “I- An ice bath will help, if you can make one.” 

“Carry him into the castle,” Hongjoong ordered, standing. “I’ll have the servants prepare one for him in the lower regions of the castle- it is often colder down there than out here.” 

The king raced across the snow, glancing back as Seonghwa helped Yeosang lift Wooyoung. 

The castle was a flurry of servants bringing in cold water and buckets of snow from outside, until the bath was nothing but a thick slush of ice and snow. 

Seonghwa and Yeosang carried Wooyoung between them, laying him in the bath. Yeosang was shaking. 

“Keep his head above the water,” Hongjoong warned. Just the thought of entering into something like that made him feel sick, but like Seonghwa within the flames, Wooyoung seemed perfectly peaceful. 

His face was young. Like San’s had been. Not quite as hard as Seonghwa’s, making him seem more youthful. 

Yeosang knelt beside the tub, brushing the dragon’s hair from his forehead, staring at him desperately, as if silently begging him to wake. 

Hongjoong hated to take his attention, but… “Yeosang.” 

The prince winced, as if he knew what was coming. His hand still where it brushed the other’s hair. His fingers curled into a loose fist as it dropped into lap, his head falling heavily. 

“Who is he?” Hongjoong questioned gently, watching the pitiful prince. “How do you know him?” 

Yeosang’s fists tightened in his lap. “I…” His voice dragged like two stones against each other. “I have known him for years. He lived in the mountains near my home.” 

Seonghwa’s eyebrow cocked. “You befriended a dragon?” he asked skeptically. “I find that hard to believe, especially in the north. How did he not kill you within moments?”

Yeosang glanced at him a little bitterly. “How did you not kill Hongjoong within moments?” 

Because Seonghwa’s weakness was his heart. 

Seonghwa’s eyes flashed, but Hongjoong waved a sharp hand at him. “Yeosang,” He prompted, and the prince’s anger faded as he turned back. 

“He was injured when I found him,” Yeosang confessed in a quiet whisper. “I… I tried to help him.” His fingers brushed the top of the ice bath, skimming the water. “I never thought dragons were very different from us… It took several days before he could move around on his own. I thought he might die.” 

“And he simply let you operate without a single care?” Seonghwa challenged. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ,” Hongjoong chastised in a sharp hiss, silencing the other. 

Yeosang turned his eyes to Seonghwa, ice smashing against ice. The prince didn’t look away as he shoved the sleeve of his coat up to his elbow. 

“No,” He said darkly. “He did not.” 

Hongjoong’s eyes widened as Yeosang revealed a long path of bright red, scarred skin. Hongjoong had only seen extremely mild cases of frost burns, but Yeosang’s entire forearm seemed to have almost been burned by real fire. 

The scar was obvious older, and Yeosang lowered his eyes to stare at it almost numbly. 

“He did not trust a human.” 

Hongjoong had to look away from the scar as Yeosang lowered the sleeve back over it. “How did you befriend him?” he asked quietly. 

Yeosang blew out a quiet breath. “I cannot tell you what happened. Somewhere between burning me and when he was healed… things had changed. He at least trusted me not to harm him, even if he couldn’t be sure of my intent. He found me again while I walked through the woods.” 

It seemed almost impossibly unfair to Hongjoong who had nearly lost his life so many times to befriend Seonghwa. 

“I think… his pride wouldn’t let him be indebted to me,” Yeosang murmured, staring at the boy. “He attempted to make repayments to me, and… suddenly it had been years, and I was sneaking out of the castle to visit with him in the woods.” 

“Your father did not know?” Hongjoong prompted. 

Yeosang shook his head quickly. “No,” He said firmly. “At the time, we had no thoughts of alliances with you. Dragons were still hunted, and I knew I would not easily convince him of Wooyoung’s character. I would not risk him.” 

He looked at Wooyoung, expression twisted. 

“You were waiting for him,” Hongjoong said suddenly. Yeosang stiffened. “That is why you kept looking at the skies.” 

Yeosang sighed heavily, shaking his head, letting his fingers dip into the water. “It was wishful thinking, I never thought I should actually see him. I… I had not seen him in months.” 

“He ran?” Seonghwa questioned darkly. 

“We fought,” Yeosang whispered, pained. “I… I lost my mother and aunt to dragons, and I…” His nails dug into his palms. “I blamed him,” he hissed, shamed. “As if he had been the one to kill her.” 

Hongjoong was suddenly slammed with the memory of all the questions Yeosang had asked of dragons and forgiving them. 

His expression softened. “Yeosang…” 

The prince shook his head. “It was- I was  _ hurting _ ,” he defended. “And I- I had no right to say what I did. I spoke with you, and you said that you could forgive the dragons, and I didn’t  _ understand-  _ ” Yeosang’s breathing came quicker, and when Hongjoong glanced at his lap, he could see droplets darkening his clothing. “And then… I did.” 

(Seonghwa witnessed, for the second time, a human weeping for a dragon.) 

“I could not find him. I searched the mountains and woods  _ every  _ day,” Yeosang hissed, scrubbing at his eyes. “And when I was sent here, I was- I was certain I would never see him again-” 

The silence that fell over them as Yeosang dried his tears was suffocating as Hongjoong looked at the boy laying in the water. 

He was Yeosang’s friend. 

As Seonghwa was Hongjoong’s friend. 

Though, perhaps even more precious, seeing as Wooyoung seemed to return Yeosang’s affection. 

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong asked in a bare whisper, glancing at the other. “Will he be alright?” 

Seonghwa nodded without looking at Wooyoung, expression sour. “All he has is surface wounds. He is young, so it will likely take him longer to heal completely, but his life is not in danger.” 

Yeosang breathed an audible sigh of relief, scooping some of the water into his hand and splashing it gently on Wooyoung’s hair, letting it run down his face. 

Hongjoong turned away from the sight. “I will have a room prepared for him,” he said, not meeting anyone’s eyes as he moved towards the stairs. “And food brought.” 

He heard a quiet whisper of a thanks from Yeosang, and Hongjoong practically ran up the stairs, bursting into the hallways, feeling like he was finally breathing after being stuck down there. 

He didn’t know why the sight of the two of them hurt. 

But Hongjoong took a moment to press against his chest, willing it to stop its aching. 

(He could never call it longing.) 

~~~~~~~~~

Seonghwa was entirely sure Yeosang was scared of him. 

The prince had barely looked at him the entire time, and kept averting his eyes when he did glance at Seonghwa who refused to glance away first. 

But the prince had snapped at him, so maybe he wasn’t entirely afraid. 

Seonghwa didn’t know why he didn’t just follow Hongjoong out of here, rather than standing silently with the prince. 

“Will he truly be alright?” Yeosang asked stiffly, his knuckles white on the edge of the bath. His hair hid his eyes, but Seonghwa hoped the human didn’t cry again. 

(He didn’t feel like dealing with that.) 

“There is no reason for him not to be,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “His wing will take time to heal, but everything else is superficial.” 

Yeosang nodded, still kneeling beside the tub, as if afraid to move further away from it. 

Seonghwa distantly wondered if this is what Hongjoong looked like as he kept vigil. 

And he swiftly shoved that thought away. 

The silence between them stretched until Yeosang’s quiet voice broke through, echoing a little in the cold chamber. “I said such… terrible things to him,” He muttered bitterly. “I was… I was so angry after my mother’s death, I… I could not bare to even look at him…My father made peace with it so quickly… and I think that only made it hurt more.” 

Seonghwa was officially hearing more than he had ever wanted to, and he opened his mouth to tell the prince to keep his sob story to himself, but Yeosang suddenly turned to look at him, eyes tormented and raw. 

“He never took it back,” Yeosang said weakly, his hand coming to press over his chest. “Even- Even when I told him that if he ever returned, I would kill him…” His fingers curled in his coat, fisting the fabric as he dropped his eyes in shame. “I thought about hurting him… after he left… I could have, and I wanted to so  _ badly… _ ” 

Seonghwa’s eyes traced over his hand clutching his chest, brow pulling down slowly. “Never took what back?” he asked roughly, not sure what could possibly be spoken about. 

Yeosang hesitated, glancing at the door to make sure no one would enter. He looked up at Seonghwa, eyes clearly judging whether or not to trust him. 

Yeosang had no reason to trust him, so Seonghwa expected him to remain silent. 

But Yeosang slowly reached into his shirt, pulling out a thick leather cord that hung at his neck, hidden completely by the layers he wore. At the end was a flat, lavender disk that was wrapped in the leather string, made into a necklace. 

Yeosang held his aloft, and Seonghwa frowned. He glanced at Wooyoung, recognizing the soft purple color. “His scale?” he asked skeptically. “He gave you a scale?” 

Yeosang looked at it, his jaw tight as if bracing for something. “It’s his Weakness,” Yeosang breathed, lowering the scale into his hand. 

Seonghwa’s heart skipped as Yeosang cradled it gently. 

“I don’t… I don’t fully understand,” Yeosang confessed in a whisper. “But he had told me that it needed to be kept safe. That if it were hurt or damaged… he would be hurt. I told him that I was put in far less dangerous situations than he was. He… He gave it to me and told me to keep it safe.” 

“He just  _ gave  _ you his weakness?” Seonghwa demanded sharply enough to make Yeosang wince. 

The prince nodded slowly. “I promised to keep it safe. But when I told him to never return, he didn’t demand it back… He simply left.” Yeosang squeezed the scale weakly. “And once he was gone, I held a hammer above it, and told myself to  _ shatter it  _ for what dragons had done.” 

Seonghwa’s conscience showed him every instance he had ever desired to just kill Hongjoong, and he grit his teeth. 

(For change to be made, several people may need to be made uncomfortable.) 

“I couldn’t,” Yeosang breathed weakly. “And I  _ hated  _ myself for it. For not being strong enough to hurt him for everything his kind had done.” 

Seonghwa shifted backwards a step, eyes hardening defensively. Yeosang glanced up at the movement, and Seonghwa stiffened, as if afraid Yeosang would see his mistakes. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Seonghwa demanded. “Why would you reveal his weakness?” 

Yeosang slowly tucked the scale back away, expression like fresh snow. “Hongjoong trusts you,” he said quietly. “More than anyone in this kingdom.” 

He said it as if that was all he needed. 

Seonghwa felt irritation but he didn’t know why. He was tired of not knowing  _ why _ . 

“You trust Hongjoong, don’t you?” Yeosang asked expectantly. 

Seonghwa glared at him, something piercing his heart as he turned on his heel and marched up the stairs. 

He was not running away. 

He was not afraid. 

He swept through the castle, fully intending to return to his cave and stop subjecting himself to these stupid humans and their stupid emotions- 

“Seonghwa-” 

He turned sharply, finding Hongjoong just behind him, the king jerking to a halt, looking surprised at the violent reaction. He frowned gently at Seonghwa, looking concerned. 

“Is something wrong?” he questioned genuinely. “Did something happen-” 

Seonghwa called the dragon stupid for giving his weakness to Yeosang, as if his own weakness was not standing before him, reaching out to him slowly. 

“Nothing is wrong,” he snapped, withdrawing from Hongjoong’s touch before it could reach him. 

Hongjoong’s brow pulled down, not looking quite convinced. “I have to speak with my advisors on the northern dragon’s treatment. Can I ask the favor that you ensure Wooyoung and Yeosang are given a meal tonight? I would not ask, but I do not feel right having servants coming and going.” He shook his head lightly. “I would rather keep people away for now.” 

How dare Hongjoong? How dare he assume he could ask  _ anything  _ of Seonghwa?  _ Especially  _ something as mundane as bringing  _ meals-  _ Did he  _ look  _ like a servant in this castle?

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong said quietly after a moment, expression pleading. “Please, I only want people I trust being involved in this until Wooyoung is healed more.” 

Trust. 

_ You trust Hongjoong, don’t you?  _

Did he trust Hongjoong with everything Seonghwa had been forced to give him? 

Seonghwa looked away sharply. “Fine,” he muttered. “Attend your meeting.” 

(And here we see another crack in the glass, another piece being set down: Seonghwa finally acting without needing to fully explain it to himself. Sometimes the answer is simply that you will not refuse the person something so simple.) 

Seonghwa pointedly ignored the relief in Hongjoong’s eyes, as if Seonghwa had just lifted a weight from his shoulders. 

It felt as if everything but different, but no steps had been taken. 

Hongjoong’s gratitude was genuine and deep at Seonghwa giving in, but he thanked Seonghwa in a rush before hurrying off to wherever the meeting was taking place.

He stood alone in the hallway. 

Seonghwa secluded himself to Hongjoong’s chambers, rather than deal with the open vulnerability of the castle. 

It was the first time he had truly seen Hongjoongs quarters on their own, rather than his quick observations during their meetings. 

It was messy. Seonghwa had never noticed how messy it was- the bed was not made, his desk was covered in several layers of parchment, and several furniture pieces around the room were holding anything from clothing to swords. 

The table they always sat at was clear and neat, though. 

Hongjoong had swords and such mounted on his wall. A few pegs in the wall were bare, and Seonghwa assumed those were the ones scattered around the room. 

He stepped up to a sword, glancing around as if he were doing something wrong, but examined the fine hilt and thin blade.

He shifted away from it, bumping into Hongjoongs desk, and upsetting some quills and pages. 

Seonghwa caught them before they flew off, setting them back where they belonged in the unorganized stack-

Seonghwa glanced over and saw an old, worn piece of folded paper sitting off to the side, separate from the other papers that were crisp and fresh. 

His fingers picked up the delicate paper that felt almost transparent for how thin and worn it was. 

It was the age of the paper that made him grab it. 

He glanced behind himself once more, turning back and turning the page over. 

Carefully, he unfolded it. 

It was held together with nothing but a few fibers, having been folded over and over again. 

_ Dearest Little Brother.  _

Seonghwa should have stopped there. He should have put the paper away and forgotten he had ever seen it. He should have gone from the room and ignored the fact that such a document existed. 

But golden eyes traced over the messy scratch that was splotched with what looked like mud, written on a rough surface. 

_ Dearest Little Brother.  _

_ I have finally managed to avoid father long enough to write to you. Now I must simply find a messenger I can trust not to tell him of this. I will be careful, though. I do not wish you to have to face his wrath at my incompetence.  _

Seonghwa’s brow pulled into a deep frown. 

_ I regret that I have not much to tell you. The battlefield is dirty and loud, but I think the men are in good spirits despite it. Do not worry, for our battles have been surprisingly few. We are working on peace talks to end the fighting soon, and then I will return to you.  _

Seonghwa had to wonder if this was the battlefield he had died on. Or perhaps it was another. Did the prince know he would die? Did he sense it before it happened?

Did he think of his little brother? 

Seonghwa should not be reading this.

_ I have missed sneaking into your room, these months. I hope you are not too lonely on your own. Perhaps when I return we can sneak into the garden and walk around, rather than staying stuck in your room.  _

There was a portion that was scratched out completely, making in unreadable. 

_ I will not bore you with details of my life here. Just know that I am healthy and eagerly waiting for our return.  _

_ I have not much time, so I must end here.  _

_ I know you were distressed upon our departure. And I wish I could apologize on father’s behalf, but it would be meaningless.  _

_ I love you, my dearest brother. Do not allow our father’s poor decisions to burden you. Rather, live brightly and well, and do not let his bitterness corrupt your heart.  _

_ Simply live your life well, and you will prove to him that you are worth more than a mistake.  _

_ I pray that I find you in good spirits and good health when I return.  _

_ Await me, little brother, and I will pray for your continued happiness.  _

_ I will return to you soon,  _

_ Your Older Brother _

Seonghwa wondered if this was the last thing Hongjoong had ever received from his brother. 

He could almost imagine it… a young, young Hongjoong hunched over his desk, the wounds of his loss still fresh, reading it again and again until his candles burned out. 

That bright light and bitter anger that Seonghwa had seen, still raw and tender. 

_ My kind have performed the world a service by ending that prince’s life! _

Seonghwa winced against his will. 

He truly… 

He truly could not even begin to understand the pain he had inflicted on Hongjoong. 

His brother. The only person who had ever treated him as a human. His only friend. His only defense against a father who hated him as a mistake. 

The only person he had ever loved. 

One of. 

One of the only people he had ever loved. 

_ But, yes, I can say now… after so many years by your side and so many months without you… that yes, I do believe I love you.”  _

How could Hongjoong ever place him alongside this man?

He folded the paper carefully and placed it back on the desk. He felt off kilter. As if one of his wings had been clipped. 

Seonghwa truly had hurt Hongjoong in more ways than he could ever understand. 

And yet, Hongjoong forgave. 

_ Would you have regretted it? If you left? _

Hongjoong smiled at him warmly. 

Yes, Seonghwa was sure he would have spent the rest of his ancient life thinking back to that human who was stronger than him. 

Even as he realized it within his mind, he cursed himself. 

Seonghwa had never felt lost before. 

But he was stuck in the rapids of a river that demanded answer but gave him no time to think. He was spinning, trying to find his direction, what he truly searched for, but he couldn't see it. 

He couldn't see it. 

He had never felt lost before, but he turned on the spot, not even knowing what direction to begin in. 

He felt so  _ lost _ . It was not even confusion at this point, but a pure sense of being somewhere and not possessing even an inkling of what to do. 

The door opened behind him, and Seonghwa turned quickly, finding a serving sticking her head in. She looked at Seonghwa and dropped her eyes. 

“I found you,” she said weakly, still staring at the ground. “The- the king had ordered that we fetch you at dinner time, so that you may bring a meal to our guests.”

Seonghwa turned to the window and found the sky stained orange. 

Had he truly wasted so much time after that letter? 

“The-The tray is waiting at the stairwell to the chamber,” she squeaked, backing out quickly and leaving him alone once more. 

Hongjoong had never feared him. 

Hongjoong was convinced he loved Seonghwa, in some capacity. 

_ You trust him, don't you? _

_ You love him, don't you? _

It was laughable, as he exited the king’s room. What did a dragon know of love? Even less than a bastard. 

Seonghwa winced as the word floated through his mind. 

Hongjoong made him regret. Hongjoong made him apologize. Hongjoong made him  _ hurt _ . 

As promised, the tray was waiting at the doorway to the stairwell, two bowls of steaming soup and rice. 

Seonghwa refrained from sighing as he picked it up irritatedly. 

Hongjoong didn't make him do anything. 

Hongjoong simply lived his life happily and without hate. 

Everything that had happened had been a result of Seonghwa. Everything Seonghwa did was his own fault. 

Not Hongjoong’s. 

Seonghwa pushed the door open, just needing to get this out of the way and return to his lonely cave. He walked down the steps, reaching the bottom and opening his mouth to tell Yeosang to take the food. 

It physically caught in his throat as he jerked to a stop. 

Wooyoung sat up in the tub, conscious and awake, his dripping arms around Yeosang who cupped the dragon’s jaw gingerly, as if afraid of hurting him, despite the fact that their lips moved against each other’s smoothly, their eyes clenched shut as if it pained them- 

Wooyoung’s fingers curled at the hair at the nape of Yeosang’s neck, both of them unbothered by the water spilling onto Yeosang as it dripped from Wooyoung. 

Seonghwa didn’t feel his grip weaken, but suddenly the tray was crashing to the floor, bowls smashing against the stone. 

The two of them leapt violently, breaking apart and looking to Seonghwa, eyes wide and panicked. 

Wooyoung’s eyes immediately turned dark with distrust. Yeosang’s widened in fear. 

“Seonghwa-” 

It felt like Seonghwa was the one who had been shoved into an ice bath. 

He turned, running back up the stairs, the image of the two of them seared into his mind, a hot, burning brand that almost seemed to taunt him, to threaten him- 

He shoved the door open, running directly into Hongjoong who was coming towards it. 

They both stumbled back, Hongjoong looking at Seonghwa in surprise as they caught themselves- 

_ Seonghwa’s body melted against Hongjoong’s- softening from the marble he held himself in- Seonghwa’s lips moved against his-  _

“Seong-” 

Seonghwa was already running down the hallway, listening to Hongjoong call after him, hearing the king’s footsteps running after him, begging him to wait- 

Seonghwa found the nearest balcony, leaping off and transforming in the air and racing off, still hearing Hongjoong’s voice carrying after him as he put as much distance between them as he could, his stomach rolling violently. 

Yeosang and Wooyoung… 

How could they do that? How could they face the thing that Hongjoong and Seonghwa had tested and run from? 

Seonghwa didn’t understand the sight he had seen. 

Didn’t understand the gentleness in their touches and the desperation and relief caught on their faces. 

Seonghwa couldn’t understand the ache in his chest, so he ran. 

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong watched Seonghwa disappear into the distance, braced against the railing like he could reach him if he reached out far enough. 

He stared after him, expression fallen and confused at his sudden violent departure. 

“Hongjoong...” 

He turned to find Yeosang come to a halt behind him, breathing as if he had been running. His cheeks were flushed, his hair mussed, and his lips slightly swollen and red. 

Hongjoong didn’t know what the sight before him meant as he turned slowly. 

Yeosang swallowed, his hands wringing together. “I- I don’t- We are not-” 

“Yeosang,” Hongjoong said firmly, hands spreading in a calming gesture. “What happened?” he asked slowly. 

Yeosang’s eyes flickered. “I…” He glanced around the hallway, finding it empty. “Seonghwa… he came in as Wooyoung and I…” He dropped his eyes, as if shamed, and Hongjoong finally connected the mysteries in his head as he glanced over Yeosang’s messed hair.. 

His eyes widened. “You… and Wooyoung…” He didn’t know what word was appropriate, his tongue numb and heavy in his mouth. “You are… together?” 

Yeosang winced. “It… It is not so simple… I…” Yeosang closed his eyes, taking a long breath and holding it for almost too long before letting it go slowly, seeming to collect himself as his eyes opened once more. 

“Yes,” he admitted quietly. “Since long ago. But then we fought…” He winced. “We fought, and I have not seen him for months now. He woke during the day, and I… I told him everything I had been waiting to tell him.” His fists curled loosely. “And it simply… was a natural progression we followed. I did not expect anyone to come down.” 

“Seonghwa saw the two of you,” Hongjoong said quietly, his chest tightening. 

He didn’t know if this changed everything they had built or not. The way Seonghwa had looked at him… back to that fear… Because of the two of them who had managed what they hadn’t?

Yeosang nodded slowly. “It was only a kiss,” He assured quickly. He stared at Hongjoong fearfully. “It is… is not something… punishable, is it?” he whispered. 

Hongjoong almost wanted to laugh, his own lips tingling. “No,” he said quietly, not meeting Yeosang’s eyes. “I have no say over who you choose to love, Yeosang. You are gifted with that freedom here.” 

His heart sank lower and lower. 

Yeosang stared at Hongjoong, a mixture of discomfort, confusion, worry- 

The prince’s expression fell. “Oh,” he said quietly, making Hongjoong finally look at him. Yeosang glanced behind Hongjoong, out into the snowy sky. “The two of you are…” He didn’t finish, and Hongjoong was glad for that. 

If he had actually filled in a word, it might have broken Hongjoong. 

“No,” He said quickly, making Yeosang look at him. “No, we are- We are not that,” He assured him quietly, heart rendering. 

Yeosang frowned, genuinely perplexed. “You… You are not? But the way you act around each other-” 

“The way we act?” Hongjoong laughed bitterly, looking at the prince in disbelief. “What part of contempt and stiffness seems like love?” he demanded. 

Yeosang blinked, as if taken aback. “Contempt?” he questioned. “Which of you is holding the other in contempt?” 

“Is it not obvious?” Hongjoong said, perhaps a little sharp to the younger man, but it came out all the same. 

“No,” Yeosang said firmly, shaking his head, lost. “I have seen contempt from neither of you-” 

“Yeosang, I do not know if this is an attempt to lighten my mood, but it is not appreciated-” 

“Do you truly not see the way he looks at you?” 

Hongjoong scoffed, something bitter and hurt. “I have seen nothing  _ but  _ the way he looks at me,” he assured the other darkly. “And he has made it very clear that the only reason he remains is against everything he wants and believes for himself.” 

The moment on the balcony seemed like nothing but a memory.

Yeosang still looked confused. 

“What would you know of what he feels?” Hongjoong demanded, fists forming loosely. “Are you truly standing before me and telling me you would believe he felt  _ anything  _ for me?”

Seonghwa spoke of sunrises and marveling and returning again and again, but with each disappearance, with each cold glare, Hongjoong could only believe that his desire for solitude outweighed anything he could ever truly feel. 

He had apologized, Hongjoong tried to comfort. They had shared that moment on the balcony where Hongjoong revealed his life to Seonghwa, and Seonghwa had felt  _ something _ . 

But Hongjoong was not sure he was strong enough to continue on like this. This back and forth, this fight, this uncertainty they swam within. 

He only wished that Seonghwa would stay because it is what  _ he  _ desired. 

Not because he was afraid of what being away would bring. 

“I love Wooyoung.” 

The statement was so quiet and soft, Hongjoong thought he had imagined it, but when he looked up, Yeosang stared at him with such determination, as if he were planning on battling a dragon himself. 

Hongjoong’s mouth was dry. 

“But the two of us befriended each other, long before those thoughts entered our minds.” His jaw tightened, preparing himself. “We spoke of our friendship- what it might mean and what our consequences may be.” He swallowed. “Even as we spoke, there were times I would look at him and think that he was still that dragon that saw me as nothing but a thing he was meant to hate.” 

A bug. 

Yeosang straightened. “There were times all throughout our years together that I waited for him to fly off and never return. Times I would look at his cold eyes and think that he had despised me all along… But I realized that that is simply how dragons look at times.” 

Hongjoong had to snort a disbelieving laugh. 

“It is,” Yeosang pressed firmly. “I asked Wooyoung of it, and he was confused how I could ever think he hated me. They are equally confused by our expression- we feel too many things for them to truly know what they should be reading. I have been told I often seem cold and aloof- it is simply how my expression falls.” 

Hongjoong could understand that- he knew that Yeosang’s icy eyes were not his true personality, which seemed to reminisce spring more than winter. 

“That is simply how their expressions fall,” Yeosang assured him. “And I may not understand Seonghwa as well as I know Wooyoung, but I know that if a dragon truly felt nothing for you, he would never allow himself to come near you.” 

Hongjoong’s jaw tightened as he brought a hand to rub at his tired eyes. “I am his weakness,” He blurted without thinking. He pressed his hands harder over his eyes, until it hurt, so he couldn’t see Yeosang’s expression. 

“You…  _ You  _ are his weakness?”

“His emotions are his weakness,” Hongjoong said in a rush, voice weakening. “As we spent our time together, he came to care for me, and nothing in his life has ever disgusted him more.” His chest twinged. “He does not wish to be near me, for it causes him pain. But he does not want to leave, for  _ that  _ causes pain as well.”

Hongjoong took a sharp breath, demanding that he not weep before the prince he housed as a guest. 

It hurt. 

“I only wished to be his  _ friend-  _ not his jail warden. I do not want him here if  _ he  _ does not want to be here. If I could remove myself as that weakness, I would in an  _ instant _ .” This was not a conversation to be having without Seonghwa’s consent, but Seonghwa should not have left if he wished to be a part of it. “Even if I  _ were  _ to be with him, I would not want to trust it. It would seem as if we were only together for his survival.” 

And this was where Kim Hongjoong’s heart burned the worst. 

The thought that even the little affection that Seonghwa had given him was nothing but an attempt to alleviate the pain of his weakness that Hongjoong embodied. 

Even their most basic friendship felt like a strategy, rather than a choice. 

But Seonghwa stayed, hadn’t he? Seonghwa apologized and pitied Hongjoong for all the horrors he had faced in his life- Seonghwa  _ regretted-  _

“Each dragon has a personal weakness….” 

Hongjoong’s head jerked up at the foreign voice, his eyes landing on Wooyoung who stood just behind Yeosang. 

He was dressed in thin furs, rather than Seonghwa’s type of leather. It dripped water onto the stone floor, his injured arm clutched to his chest and his hair flat and wet. 

It was the first time Hongjoong allowed himself to look at the boy closely, and he was surprised by the icy blonde of his hair that almost seemed tinted a lavender close to his scale color. 

But he was standing and conscious. Even if he should be freezing, he seemed perfectly content, as he looked at Hongjoong in a way that told him he had heard everything. 

“However,” the dragon said, voice surprisingly high and soft, “I think our greatest weakness as a species is being afraid to trust.” 

Hongjoong’s stomach churned. He trusted Seonghwa. Even if he questioned what the man felt for him, he knew he could trust him. Of that, he was not conflicted.

Seonghwa’s trust in him was questionable. He had revealed his weakness, but even that had seemed like an act of survival, rather than trust. 

“We’re afraid to trust,” Wooyoung said quietly, helplessly. “The more invincible a being… well, I think the more afraid they are to be hurt. We aren’t hurt often, and so we fear it all the more when we are threatened with it. It makes us lash out.” His eyes traced over Yeosang’s forearm darkly. “But I think if we could just learn to trust a little more… we would do a lot less hurting.” 

He glanced to Yeosang and nodded silently. 

Yeosang glanced at Hongjoong before reaching into his coat and pulling out a leather necklace that Hongjoong had never noticed before, a scale wrapped within it. 

“That is my weakness,” Wooyoung murmured, staring at it almost sadly. “I gave it to Yeosang to look after.” 

Hongjoong wasn’t entirely sure how a scale could be someone’s weakness, but… Wooyoung had given it to  _ Yeosang…  _

“He faced much smaller threats than a dragon every would… and I trusted him to keep it safe.” 

Yeosang stared at the scale, expression a little stricken, before tucking it back into his shirt, as if afraid to have it out for too long. 

“You trusted him so much?” Hongjoong whispered, glancing between the two of them. 

“Maybe not,” Wooyoung assured him. “But I trusted him enough to know that he wouldn’t bring any harm to it himself.” 

“I wanted to,” Yeosang whispered hoarsely, hand placed over his chest where the necklace fell. “But I couldn’t.” 

“Even when he blamed me for his mother’s death,” Wooyoung practically whispered. “He still didn’t harm it. I knew I had trusted the right person. When I heard rumors he had been sent to the Dragon Kingdom, I intended to just see… I never thought I would actually speak to him again.”

Yeosang’s guilt was tangible. Wooyoung’s relief was visible. 

Hongjoong felt like he was watching something he wasn’t supposed to, but he couldn’t look away. 

Kim Hongjoong felt longing. Want. 

He wanted that trust. That closeness. The way Yeosang and Wooyoung glanced at each other and seemed to be able to tell everything about the other in a moment. 

But he shook his head. “Whether a dragon’s true weakness is trust or not, Seonghwa does not trust me.” 

“He does,” Wooyoung assured him immediately. “Regardless of what he says, if being around you if his weakness, than even if it hurt more, he’d stay as far away from you as possible. The fact that he still returns to you shows some amount of trust.” 

Maybe Wooyoung knew more than Hongjoong. Hongjoong could trust him to know more about dragon’s thoughts than Hongjoong could. 

But weighing six years of evidence over Wooyoung’s assurity was not exactly an equal scale. 

Hongjoong sighed quietly. “Thank you for your help,” he said genuinely. “But I suppose there’s not much I can do while Seonghwa flees from me everytime he experiences an emotion. As long as he is afraid of me… of what I am to him… I will never truly be his friend.” 

The statement made the hurt multiply. 

He turned away. “A servant can show you to your quarters. They will see that you have all that you need. Please excuse me,” he muttered, walking down the long hallway. 

“Hongjoong,” Yeosang called weakly, but the king did not turn. 

And he did not look back until he reached his quarters, closing himself within them and looking around, tired. 

He walked to his desk, lighting the candles without thinking- 

His eyes fell on the little piece of folded paper sitting atop his desk, rather than under the papers where it usually resided. 

Hongjoong’s heart twisted as he picked it up carefully, but not opening it. He didn’t need to, he had long since memorized every pen stroke. 

_ I love you, my dearest brother.  _

He blew out a weak breath, setting the paper down carefully and turning away, his eyes burning. 

He wondered how his life would have changed if things had gone as planned. If his brother had lived and taken the throne, and his father had died of old age, rather than a broken heart. 

If Hongjoong could have just remained in the shadows, unknown and unwanted, rather than facing this new kind of misery that he had every power to stop. 

For the first time in a shockingly long time, Hongjoong laid on his bed and wished for his brother’s return. 

At the very least, Hongjoong prayed for his council. His guidance. 

Anything to show him what he was to do. 

He wished he were not so alone. 

~~~~~~~~

Seonghwa knew the moment he heard the footsteps in his clearing that it was not Hongjoong. 

He peered through the darkness of near midnight, a gentle light to see by from the bright moon, and saw icy hair appearing through the darkness. 

He sighed in annoyance and frustration as Wooyoung paused at the mouth of his cave. The other was still and silent. Seonghwa knew he could see the dragon within his cave, but perhaps he would leave if Seonghwa remained quiet. 

But Wooyoung spoke loudly and without preamble, his voice echoing among the trees. 

“You love him.” 

Seonghwa left behind all plan of remaining silent as he stormed to the entrance of his cave, standing before Wooyoung and almost being tempted to transform into his dragon form to roast the other. 

Wooyoung stared at him, angry and unyielding as Seonghwa towered over him a considerable amount. 

“You would not dare keep returning to your weakness unless that was true.” 

“ _ Leave _ ,” Seonghwa hissed, no other words coming to fill his lips. 

“My wing is still injured, so I had to walk here,” Wooyoung said darkly. “So I do not plan to walk all that way back without saying what I came to.” 

“I could not care a single  _ ounce  _ what you came to say,” Seonghwa snapped, still considering the roasting option. 

“Say that you don’t,” Wooyoung demanded, making Seonghwa take a half-step back. “Say that you don’t love him.” 

_ Tell me you meant it _ . 

“I-” 

The words caught in Seonghwa’s infuriatingly, and he turned, slamming his fist into the rock of his cave, creaking a spiderweb of cracks around the point he hit. 

It was too much. 

It was  _ always  _ too much. 

“Then why do you make him think you do not?” Wooyoung demanded quietly. “Why do you force him to doubt himself and you?” 

He doubts you. 

Seonghwa’s nails dug into his palm as his fist shook. 

“He is nothing but a weakness,” Seonghwa spat, too quiet for the amount of venom in it. “I will not lose my life to a human.” 

“Are you truly blind enough to think that Hongjoong would ever allow harm to come to you?”

“What he allows does not matter!” Seonghwa yelled, turning back to Wooyoung rapidly. “Whether I fall farther or fall away, I risk all the same! I will not spend my life in agony each time I see him!” 

“That is not weakness, that is what  _ love  _ is!” Wooyoung yelled back, advancing a step towards Seonghwa, eyes flashing a bright silver. “Hurting when he is hurt, hurting when he is not near- that ache in your chest when he is truly  _ happy-  _ That is not your  _ weakness _ , Seonghwa, that is what love  _ is _ !”

“Just because you found a human toy does not mean you know a thing about love-” 

Wooyoung’s fist came from the darkness, and Seonghwa barely caught it before it connected with his jaw, Wooyoung’s eyes burning silver and deadly. 

“Do you presume to know a  _ thing  _ about what I feel for Yeosang,” he hissed darkly, no longer seeming so young a dragon. “Not when you stand before someone you love, and are selfish enough to hurt him again and again.” 

“Our pains are not the same!” Seonghwa snapped, throwing the fist away. “ _ He  _ will not die from a broken heart!  _ He  _ will not die from rejection!”

Wooyoung’s gaze was steely. “Humans are more fragile than you seem to think.” 

“Oh, spare me-” 

“Your weakness is nothing more than feeling human,” Wooyoung spat sharply. “What you feel is nothing more or less than what every human feels.” 

_ The things you call weakness, that you spend your life avoiding… are what us humans experience each day of our lives. Emotions are not to be feared, they’re to be celebrated.”  _

“And while your suffering sends you into a rage, his will drive him deeper into himself,” Wooyoung snapped. “It will make him question everything you or he has done, and it will tear him apart from the inside out, until he cannot trust even himself.”

Seonghwa thought of the pain in his throat. The one that grew as Hongjoong revealed more and more of his past…the one that eventually squeezed those painful words from Seonghwa’s throat and made him express the regret that had been tormenting him.

The one that lessened as soon as the words left, the shock and then softness to Hongjoong’s eyes. 

It was not Hongjoong’s fault. None of it was. 

Only Seonghwa’s. 

“You love him.” 

“He will be my end,” Seonghwa snapped. 

“Only if he were to reject you beyond reason.” 

“He will!” Seonghwa shouted. “There is no possible way a human like that will not eventually tire and reject someone like me! Hongjoong would never allow his life to be permanently tainted by my presence!”

The crickets screamed around them, as if egging them on. 

Seonghwa hurt. 

“The world knows of you and the king,” Wooyoung said, voice low and dark. “Even as far as the North, we know of what you did together. And as I understand it, the king has successfully and gladly entertained your presence for nearly a decade now. I have held a single conversation with this man, and it is already clear to me that he is willing and desperate to keep you by his side.” 

_ I wish to have you by my side. In whatever capacity you allow…  _

Seonghwa resisted the urge to slam his fist into the wall once more, to do something to rid himself of the feeling inside of himself, the ache that demanded he move, he run- 

“You are only hurting both of you,” Wooyoung whispered, disappointed. “Have you even  _ attempted  _ to see what would happen if you were to move forward? If you were to actually allow him to see what you feel?”

_ Hongjoong kissed him.  _

_ And in that moment… Seonghwa’s heart forgot about hate.  _

The sensation was nothing Seonghwa had ever experienced, and the only thing that shattered it was his own disgust at giving in to something he had been denying himself. 

And Seonghwa could never say it, but it had felt so  _ good _ . It felt  _ right _ .

He hated that it had felt like being  _ alive _ . 

Wooyoung took a step away, eyes still dark and threatening. “I have no personal issue with you, Seonghwa,” he said quietly. “But Hongjoong has shown Yeosang a great and continued kindness, and that means that I owe him at least this.” He stepped back onto the forest floor. “Stop playing games with Hongjoong. If you will not return to him of your own will, than tell him so. But if you desire more… if you will allow yourself to give what you both want… stop dragging it out. He is waiting for you.” 

_ If I didn’t force myself to, I would have spent my entire life waiting for you to return, convinced that you would.  _

Was it true? Would Hongjoong truly wait for him?

“If you really want to stop suffering… put aside everything you think  _ should  _ be. And just follow what you think you shouldn’t have.” 

What was it?

What was the one thing that Seonghwa wanted to deny himself more than anything? 

Hongjoong. 

The brilliant Hongjoong. That one that smiled at Seonghwa and waited for him and made Seonghwa feel like he was burning. 

The one only wished to stay with Seonghwa, who continued to run from him. 

The one who kissed Seonghwa when asked what he would do if he never came back. 

The one Seonghwa had been loving for years. 

The one that had more control over Seonghwa goes than anything ever had or ever would. 

The one that Seonghwa wanted to become lost in. 

The one who Seonghwa only wanted to love. Free of the pain and the weakness. 

Hongjoong. 

Seonghwa just wanted to love Hongjoong but it all hurt so  _ badly _ . 

Wooyoung’s silver eyes disappeared into the night, and Seonghwa was left alone, with echoes of the past, and a greater pain exploding in his chest than he had ever experienced before. 

He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling as if his heart were trying to tear itself from his chest. 

Why did it have to hurt so badly? Why did it have to be so unbearable to see him, to hear him, to know him- 

Why did it burn so  _ viciously _ ? 

He winced, pressing against his heart harder. 

Was this truly what Hongjoong felt as well? 

_ But the pain proves that I loved him. It is evidence that I felt something for him. _

He punched the stone again, pieces splintering off at the force- anything to stop the emotions burning through his veins.

He needed to run.

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong awoke to the sound of a door opening. 

He opened his eyes that were scratchy and sore, blinking sleep away, and wondering for a moment why he had woken when it was still pitch black around him. 

It was dark, and Hongjoong stared across the expanse of his bed, swallowed by it. 

He rolled over and saw two lanterns in the darkness. 

Hongjoong sat up quickly, startled, as he registered Seonghwa standing before him. He could barely make out his shape in the darkness, but his eyes were visible and bright. 

Hongjoong almost wondered if he were dreaming as the two of them stared at each other in silence. 

Seonghwa stepped towards him slowly, and Hongjoong was afraid to make even a noise, afraid to break whatever dream seemed to follow him into waking. Everything felt hazy, not quite real.

Seonghwa stopped at his bed, not touching it, Hongjoong’s head tilting back slightly to see him. 

Seonghwa’s expression was the same cold, distant shell it had been earlier in the day. 

Neither moved. 

Hongjoong swallowed, still afraid to break whatever spell had fallen. It seemed as if the night passed them by, the two of them doing nothing but observing each other. Hongjoong was suddenly not alone.

Until slowly… slowly… slowly… Seonghwa’s hand came up. 

Hongjoong watched it move, wondering what it was going to do. There was no fear. Only curiosity. Only a distant not-fear that this was Seonghwa saying goodbye. Hongjoong tried to shove out the doubts of earlier, tried not to let them into his thoughts. 

Seonghwa was here. 

Seonghwa’s hand cupped Hongjoong’s cheek gently, the warmth from the palm of his hand feeling amplified against Hongjoong’s cold skin that was barely warmed from the blanket. 

Hongjoong shivered violently at the change in temperature, his voice still caught in his chest as Seonghwa stared at him. 

“You said you wanted the truth,” Seonghwa whispered, voice barely loud enough to carry the short distance in the silence. “What I truly felt…” 

Hongjoong was certain this was a dream, but he had never dreamed of Seonghwa before. 

Seonghwa’s expression shifted, something more open, more afraid. More pained. 

“I cannot tell you that, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa breathed, looking at Hongjoong as if he were an impossible puzzle he was helpless to solve. “The words will never come. You will spend your life waiting for words that I will never be strong enough to tell you.” 

He said it with such finality, it punched Hongjoong’s chest. 

His thumb brushed over the curve of the king’s cheek gently, another shiver running down Hongjoong’s spine. 

He truly must be dreaming because the only touch he had received from Seonghwa was a half-touch to his shoulder. This was too intimate. Too close. Too similar to what Hongjoong had managed to convince himself would never come. 

But Seonghwa was standing before him, looking as if he had just given the reason they could never be. 

Hongjoong had said that he didn’t know what he felt for Seonghwa- he didn’t know how to love, save for how his brother taught him to. 

But as Seonghwa caressed his cheek, Hongjoong knew that the beating of his heart was nothing like what he had ever felt for his brother. 

Perhaps Hongjoong had been trying to save his heart. Trying to say that perhaps it was only friendship he was risking, rather than his whole heart. 

Seonghwa’s eyes were more open than Hongjoong had ever seen, here in the darkness and loneliness of his chambers, where nothing existed but the two of them.

Only them and their solitude.

Hongjoong’s hand laid over Seonghwa’s that rested on his cheek, his skin almost too hot. 

Seonghwa stiffened, but did not withdraw his hand as Hongjoong stared up at him, eyes pleading and bright. 

Seonghwa was here now. Once more, he returned. Against everything his nature told him, he returned. 

“Then do not speak,” Hongjoong whispered, voice rough and hoarse with sleep, still feeling as if he were walking through a dream. “ I have never learned a thing about you, Seonghwa, by anything you have ever said.” Seonghwa’s fingers twitched beneath his. 

The golden lanterns dimmed until the darkness almost completely hid Seonghwa’s features from him, dark brown hiding among the dark.

“You have only ever shown me what you intend,” the king breathed. “In your actions and your eyes, I have always known what you have felt.” He squeezed the hand gently, chest tightening as Seonghwa’s jaw tightened. “You never have to speak,” Hongjoong assured him, voice dropping. “Your actions have always been enough.” 

They had always been enough. 

Kim Hongjoong had never doubted Seonghwa. However, Kim Hongjoong was painfully human, and while that meant his forgiveness and patience may be infinite, it also meant he was prone to being afraid. 

Afraid of being alone, afraid of chasing a hopeless dream… the dream that Seonghwa had presented himself as. 

He was afraid of chasing Seonghwa and being wrong. 

But he was so very willing to chase Seonghwa, if it meant there might be a chance. 

Seonghwa’s hand shifted, and Hongjoong’s fell away limply, sure that the hand would retract and Seonghwa would turn to the balcony doors- 

The warm hand fitted behind Hongjoong’s neck, sending goosebumps down his arms at the warmth- 

Hongjoong was shifted forward, and Seonghwa’s lips were on his. 

Hongjoong counted exactly five seconds where neither of them moved. Neither even dared to breathe. 

Like slamming into the earth after free fall, Hongjoong’s breath slammed back into him, his hand coming up to pull Seonghwa closer instinctively. 

He half expected Seonghwa to pull away, but he followed without hesitation, one knee bracing on the edge of Hongjoong’s bed and his body crowded against Hongjoong’s, the movement enough to shock them into movement, Seonghwa’s lips moving against Hongjoong’s as if they had only moments before they would be torn apart. 

Hongjoong responded in kind, eyes falling closed and every part of his body begging that he never wake up from whatever dream would be so cruel. 

The air in his chambers was freezing, but Hongjoong felt like he was burning with each part of Seonghwa’s body that pressed against his like a warmed stone sitting against his skin. 

Hongjoong’s heart was going to explode, his eyes clenched shut painfully tight. 

Despite the fact he could likely move Hongjoong as easily as a cloth doll, Seonghwa’s touch was firm but gentle- only guiding, not controlling. 

Seonghwa pressed closer, and with the first sensation of warm tongue tasting his lips, Hongjoong jerked away, his chest heaving as he dropped his head to rest against Seonghwa’s chest that hovered before him. 

His fingers curled into Seonghwa’s shirt, keeping him in place, as Hongjoong panted as if he had run for hours, his head spinning and his stomach flipping. 

He could feel Seonghwa’s chest rising and falling just as rapidly, the hand on the back of his neck shaking. 

Hongjoong managed to open his eyes, staring at his lap that Seonghwa half-sat in, their limbs tangled and resting heavily against each other. 

“This cannot be for survival,” Hongjoong breathed, trying to control his breaths. He did not look up into Seonghwa’s eyes. He closed his eyes once more. “Seonghwa, if you are only here because you think it is the only way to assuage your weakness, I cannot-” 

A surprisingly gentle finger caught his chin, dragging it up carefully. 

Hongjoong followed, staring up into dark brown that swallowed his pupils, Seonghwa’s face too close, too… 

It was stiff, his expression, but not… 

Hongjoong stopped trying to read his expression. It would do nothing but lie to him. He stared into Seonghwa’s eyes. 

“I know you cannot say it,” Hongjoong whispered, fingers curling in his shirt tighter. “But I am begging you to give me only this.” 

This reassurance. That Hongjoong was going to me more than an attempt at survival. 

“Will you stay?” Seonghwa breathed, warm breath brushing Hongjoong’s cheek. 

Hongjoong managed half of a wet laugh before it broke. “Seonghwa,” he whispered. “I told you that I wished to have you at my side. I cannot see the future, but even if we were to fall away… I would trust you to remain at my side in whatever capacity we fell to.” 

Even if whatever this was left… even if it changed… Hongjoong wanted this man at his side. 

“I have hurt you,” Seonghwa said, voice dropping quieter and quieter the more he spoke, as if each word was being forced out. “I did not realize how much…” His eyes traced over Hongjoong’s face. “I do not wish to hurt you, as I have been hurt.” 

“Do not make decisions out of pity or guilt,” Hongjoong said firmly, expression tightening. “I do not want you here because I want it.” 

The leather of Seonghwa’s clothing creaked under Hongjoong’s grip. 

“Tell me whether  _ you  _ want it, Seonghwa,” he said firmly. “Outside of weaknesses and guilt and everything I have said… Do  _ you  _ want this?” he demanded darkly. 

He would not hold Seonghwa here. He would not be his jailor. 

Seonghwa’s eyes traced Hongjoong’s face, again and again, open and cold. 

Hongjoong hadn’t realized he had moved closer until warm lips brushed against his, like nothing more than a breath of air passing over them. 

“ _ Yes _ ,” Seonghwa breathed, a feeling more than an audible word, brushed against Hongjoong’s lips that breathed it in, holding it in his chest that felt as if a fire burned within it.

It was the first time he had confessed his darkest desire. 

It was the first time Hongjoong had heard him say it. 

When their lips next met, Hongjoong felt as if he was flying and being crushed at once. His chest caved in and exploded at once. Seonghwa’s body was warm and solid, both of them shifting and pressing until Seonghwa braced himself above Hongjoong who lay against his pillows, arms wrapping around Seonghwa’s neck. 

Hongjoong felt each of Seonghwa’s muscles relax against him, the other melting into the body beneath him, blanketing Hongjoong in an unimaginable warmth. 

Hongjoong felt as if years of tension and bracing himself finally released, his body sinking into the bed and simply letting Seonghwa lay atop him, letting him roam and explore as he liked- 

If Seonghwa noticed the quiet tears leaking from the corners of Hongjoong’s eyes, dripping onto his pillow, he said nothing, tongue tracing along Hongjoong’s and exploring every inch of his mouth the Hongjoong allowed him willingly. 

He was warm, so warm that Hongjoong felt like he was burning, and he loved it-

He loved  _ Seonghwa _ . 

He loved him so much, for so long without understanding, for so long without even thinking- 

Seonghwa returned to him. 

It felt like finally getting a second leg to stand on, to lean on, to rely on- 

No longer struggling alone. 

Hongjoong could barely see through the darkness as Seonghwa’s hands traced from his neck to his hips, neither of them parting longer than it took to breathe. 

Hongjoong didn’t know how, but it felt as if he had been waiting six years for this. 

Seonghwa didn’t jerk away. Didn’t shove Hongjoong off. Didn’t come to his senses halfway through and run. 

He only pulled Hongjoong closer, and Hongjoong followed willingly. 

Seonghwa did not leave, the darkness the only witness to that miracle. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Did you think our story was over? 

Certainly not. Worlds have been rocked, but not changed. 

Worlds have been torn town, but nothing has been rebuilt as of yet. 

Besides, they had done much work on their own worlds, but what of the world around them? 

No, our two lovers are not done their work, yet. 

However, it is a very nice sight to leave them on. 

Our greatest challenge has been overcome. However, you must ask yourself- which is more difficult? One great challenge or a hundred smaller ones? 

There has not been enough world changing. 

Our time is not yet out. 

For now, though, we will leave Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong in their moment. For now, we will let them exist with only each other, in this shining moment. 

Finally, both had broken into each other’s worlds, welcomed and embraced by each other. 

Seonghwa finally stopped fighting. 

Finally allowed himself to feel. 

Finally showed Hongjoong what trust looked like. What six years weighed against his pride. 

Whether this moment lives on or is broken is yet to be seen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please await the next chapter! I have no idea when I’ll have time to write, but hopefully I can squeeze in some time!  
Thank you for all the lovely comments and support!   
I’ll see you next chapter!  
-SS


	4. The Catcher in the Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this wait ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ  
I tried to throw this one together as quick as possible, but it’s been a week and I’m sorry! ㅠㅠ  
But here it is! Hopefully it’s worth the wait!  
I’m thinking that next chapter will be the last one? Possibly another chapter of an epilogue? I’ll see how much I fit in the next chapter!  
A lot goes on in this chapter, but I hope it flows well!!  
Have fun reading it, and I’ll try to have the next one up as quickly as possible!  
Have a lovely day, and let me know what you thought!  
-SS

The funny thing about life, is that it often changes during the worst times, and often does so at a rate that no one is able to keep up with it. 

Life changes too fast, and we must simply allow ourselves to be caught in her current. 

Often times, the speed is agonizing. 

But the good things about life, is that as much as it may seem otherwise, she very purposefully will give back to those who do good. 

She will repay the good and pay back those who have suffered. But life knows when we need this most, and she saves up all the little moments we demanded to know why we must suffer, and she saves them for the moment she knows we need it most. 

Kim Hongjoong had built up a lot of moments to be repaid. 

~~~~~~~~

Seonghwa woke up warm and laying on his side. 

This was strange, as Seonghwa slept almost exclusively on his back.

He cracked his eyes open, staring at the top of soft brown hair that tickled his skin. 

Slowly, Seonghwa became aware of the fragile little human body pressed against his, tucked beneath his chin and pressed to his chest, Hongjoong’s arms curled up into his own chest, his breath coming in cool bursts against Seonghwa’s neck. 

There was a passing thought in the back of Seonghwa’s mind that noted how easy it would be to crush Hongjoong. 

It flitted away without even truly forming, Seonghwa being slammed into memory of the night before- 

Wooyoung coming, and Seonghwa flying for hours to try and convince himself of what to do, and kissing Hongjoong, and Hongjoong kissing him back, and the both of them simply laying in the king’s bed, lips moving in alterations of languid and forceful until one or both of them fell to sleep. 

Seonghwa had kissed Hongjoong without letting himself think about it, acting on instinct and trying not to reflect on it too much- 

And then he confessed to wanting it- the thing he had hated himself for- and Seonghwa could no longer ignore it. 

He felt Hongjoong everywhere, like sunlight falling into the cracks of stones, lighting them and warming them- 

Hongjoong was soft. Soft and gentle and eager and a human with too many tears to shed. 

He cried so much, quietly and secretly, but Seonghwa felt them, and even as they made his chest ache, it felt different. 

The ache was fuller. Like something was pressing against his chest and struggling to get out, rather than something dying within. 

Seonghwa had been alone for so long, he had forgotten what it was to be beside someone. 

His arms were around Hongjoong tightly, holding him to his chest. 

There was a part of Seonghwa that told him to release the king, to back away and run before he woke- 

Seonghwa’s arm twitched. 

Hongjoong made a quiet noise in his sleep, tucking his face into Seonghwa’s neck, his nose cold from the air around them, and Hongjoong’s fingers curling into Seonghwa’s shirt loosely until he settled quietly once more. 

Seonghwa had been angry, he realized. 

When he saw Wooyoung and Yeosang in the underground chamber… He had been angry. 

Angry that they had been brave enough to do what he had been too afraid to risk. 

And as much as Seonghwa wanted to slap Wooyoung for showing up and speaking as if he understood… 

Hongjoong was a brilliant, shining, beautiful human being. 

Seonghwa could have been basking in him for so long… Even now, he held himself back, too afraid to speak of certain things, as if that changed anything… 

There was a sudden draft through the room that Seonghwa barely felt, but Hongjoong shivered, tucking his arms beneath Seonghwa’s body, expression pinching in discomfort. 

Hongjoong shifted around, moving closer to the warmth of Seonghwa’s body, the blankets shifting and exposing part of his torso. 

Seonghwa grabbed them and fixed them. 

Hongjoong fell still, pausing for a moment before he shifted until he was laying on his back within Seonghwa’s arms, staring up at him with half-lidded, sleep-heavy eyes. 

Hongjoong smiled sleepily, a lightning bolt of pain rocketing through Seonghwa’s chest at the sight. “You stayed,” the king mumbled, words slurred with not-quite-consciousness. 

The daylight streaming through the door made it hard to look at him. Hard to respond. Hard to justify all the decisions he had made, that Hongjooong might regret- 

Seonghwa simply nodded slowly, not trusting his voice to choose the right words. 

Hongjoong chuckled sleepily to himself, making Seonghwa’s heart constrict. “I thought you would have left during the night,” he murmured, eyes falling shut again. He curled into Seonghwa’s chest again, fingers curling in his shirt once more, sighing quietly. “You’re warm,” he whispered quietly, peacefully. 

Seonghwa closed his eyes as his chest flipped and tumbled, actions and reactions that he didn’t understand, but they performed an entire routine as Hongjoong tucked himself beneath Seonghwa’s chin, content and tired in the early morning. 

There was a sharp knock on the door, making Seonghwa look up sharply, body tensing. 

“Your Highness, there will be a meeting with the advisors to discuss our winter food supplies in one hour!” 

Seonghwa heard footsteps retreating, and he blew out a quiet breath, his arm withdrawing from where it was thrown across Hongjoong’s tiny waist. 

Hongjoong suddenly stiffened at the movement, his head jerking up so quickly he narrowly missed slamming into Seonghwa’s chin. 

Bright, sleep-heavy eyes stared at Seonghwa, almost frantic. 

Seonghwa suddenly froze as Hongjoong stared at him, panicked, and wondered if he should have left. It had never occurred to him to question Hongjoong, that he might regret it, that his answer was changed- 

“It was not a dream,” Hongjoong breathed in disbelief, staring at Seonghwa as if he were a ghost. 

A… dream? 

“Why would it have been a dream?” Seonghwa questioned as Hongjoong shifted away, but only to get a better view, glancing all along Seonghwa’s body, as if expecting to see him end at some point. 

“I…” Hongjoong swallowed, eyes shaking. “I thought I had dreamed the whole thing. It… It didn’t seem real…” 

Seonghwa opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, but something heavy settling in his chest. So that entire conversation… Hongjoong thought it was nothing but a dream?

There was no possible way he could have thought it to be real. 

But Hongjoong suddenly stared at him, wide eyed. “Did- Did you say you were going to stay?” he whispered, not looking as if he was willing to risk believing it. 

Seonghwa pressed his lips together, the light of day making everything hard again. He inclined his head slowly, once-

Hongjoong threw himself at Seonghwa, arms wrapping around his neck tightly, Hongjoong’s face pressed to his neck firmly.

Hongjoong embraced him, and Seonghwa did not know what to do. His hands hovered in the air over Hongjoong’s back, but did not touch him. 

“ _ Thank you _ ,” Hongjoong breathed tightly into Seonghwa’s skin. 

Seonghwa’s expression fell the longer Hongjoong pressed against him. “You should stop thanking me.” His hands still hovered, refusing to settle against the soft skin. 

It was hard to touch him again. 

“Never,” Hongjoong assured him, pulling away, eyes a little misty. Seonghwa’s hands twitched. “You are the only person who has ever stayed with me in my life, and I will never allow you to forget it.” 

There was a beat where Hongjoong stared, as if waiting to see if Seonghwa had anything to say. Seonghwa’s lips were silent, and the other only smiled gently, as if he expected as much. Without waiting for a response, Hongjoong backed out of the bed, swinging his legs over and standing. 

“I will meet with my advisors briefly this morning,” Hongjoong said as he threw on a coat and walked a short distance to a chair where he sat to pull on his boots. He glanced up at Seonghwa. “Yeosang and Wooyoung will likely be wandering the grounds. Do you think it will be unsafe for Wooyoung to be out in the open?” He questioned. 

Seonghwa stared, slightly confused. 

Because Hongjoong was acting no different than they had ever acted together. The tone of his voice, the topics of conversation, the way he looked at Seonghwa- none of it had changed. 

Wasn’t it supposed to change? 

Seonghwa felt as if someone had torn him out of his previous body and stuffed him into another one. 

Hongjoong straightened at his continued silence, brows pulling down slowly, his leg dropping down slowly as he finally fitted it to his foot.

“Seonghwa?” he questioned quietly, that same gentle tone of concern he always used. He watched Seonghwa sitting up in his bed, his frown deepening before he swallowed thickly. “Do you regret it?” Hongjoong asked quietly. “Staying?” 

Regret it. 

_ No _ , Seonghwa wanted to burst, but nothing came. Hongjoong stood slowly, expression subdued compared to his earlier joy. 

There was so much that was spinning around his head and stuck to his chest- so many things he could say to Hongjoong, about Hongjoong, detailing everything he had ever felt. 

None of it would come. 

The words would never come.

Seonghwa could only sit in tormented silence as Hongjoong was free to boast his trust and love of Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa stood as if in a trance, staring at Hongjoong’s carefully braced expression. Ready and waiting for a potential rejection. 

_ It will make him question everything you or he has done, and it will tear him apart from the inside out, until he cannot trust even himself. _

_ It was not a dream.  _

He closed the distance between them in a few long strides, until he and Hongjoong stood chest to chest, his usually bright face still staring up at Seonghwa covered in clouds. 

Seonghwa dropped his lips to Hongjoong’s, trying to say what his voice could not bear to. 

Hongjoong’s lips were cool and soft. 

Hongjoong’s body relaxed into Seonghwa’s, one of his hands curling through the short hairs at the back of Seonghwa’s neck, holding them firmly. Seonghwa could taste relief on his lips and skin. Could feel in the gentle pressure of his fingers against Seonghwa’s hair. 

It felt good. 

Hongjoong lips parted without a single movement from Seonghwa, who tasted his cool tongue once more. 

It made something in Seonghwa’s chest swell, until his breath came short. 

Hongjoong felt so very small and weak in Seonghwa’s arms that could tighten until the king’s bones snapped. 

Seonghwa did not feel the urge to do it. 

It was not hard to control his strength at all, and when Hongjoong pressed against him, and Seonghwa tightened his grip on Hongjoong’s grip- it was not meant to harm. 

That was the last thing Seonghwa intended. 

The difference in their body temperatures was stark- every part of Hongjoong seeming almost cold compared to Seonghwa. But where Seonghwa held him at his arms- their skin pressed together, he could feel Hongjoong’s skin warm to match his. 

It was fascinating and painful to watch Hongjoong press against him, chasing that warmth, especially when they were surrounded by such icy air. 

They parted slowly when Hongjoong finally allowed his head to drop to Seonghwa’s chest, the king not moving away, but staying pressed to Seonghwa. 

“Why did you come back yesterday?” Hongjoong breathed, fingers curled against Seonghwa’s chest. “You ran off… Why did you come back? Why… Why did you suddenly decide… it was something you wanted?” 

His voice was soft, but not weak. 

Despite how gentle the words came, Seonghwa felt as if they were a demand. Hongjoong demanded to know why Seonghwa would suddenly change his mind. 

Seonghwa didn’t want to say it. He didn’t trust his words. 

He could never trust his tongue to say what his heart felt. His tongue rejected his heart, and Seonghwa no longer wished to allow it to run wild, unchecked.

He refused to let it harm Hongjoong again. 

And the realization of that was startling and painful, but it settled against Seonghwa’s skin as solid as the human within his arms. 

Seonghwa glanced around the room, and saw nothing but empty space and the two of them. Solitude made it easier to allow himself to rest his lips against Hongjoong’s hair that was shockingly soft. 

“I have always wanted it,” Seonghwa whispered into his hair, closing his eyes as if to convince himself it was dark out, something for him to hide within. “I hated myself because I wanted it. Wanted you.”

It felt like shame curling in his gut, but it was not the same sensation. 

It felt sharper. Almost like wistfulness. 

Hongjoong let go of a breath that was caught between relief and disbelief, as if he was silently asking Seonghwa to stop joking around. 

_ It was not a dream.  _

Was Seonghwa a dream to Hongjoong? 

“Wooyoung came to my cave yesterday,” he said quietly, as if there was someone around to hear. 

A long silence followed, Hongjoong tightening his grip in Seonghwa’s shirt- weak human fingers trying their best to squeeze. “What did he tell you?” he whispered, as if he was bracing himself for something. 

“He told me to admit that I did not love you.” 

Hongjoong stiffened. 

_ It will make him question everything you or he has done. _

Seonghwa refused to open his eyes. 

Looking and knowing that Hongjoong was listening would seal his lips. 

Just for now, Hongjoong needed to know. 

Seonghwa wanted to give him that peace. Peace to stop waiting and doubting. 

“I could not say it.” 

He felt Hongjoong shift, his head rising, but Seonghwa refused to open his eyes. Refused to be forced to face all the things that statement implied and confirmed. 

“As when you told me to say I had meant what I said about your brother… the words would not come.” Seonghwa felt as if he had swallowed a stone, something hard and painful lodging in his throat the more Hongjoong moved- more than likely staring at Seonghwa with those wide, crystalline, trusting eyes that cried too often over Seonghwa. 

“He scolded me… Said I had no right to speak, as someone who would sit and hurt the one they claimed to love.” Hongjoong’s hands slowly slipped away from holding onto Seonghwa. His eyes closed tighter. “I… I didn’t realize… I didn’t want to think about the fact that you were hurting as much I was.” 

All of those horrible, painful, agonizing stabs through his chest… was that truly what Hongjoong felt each day? 

What Hongjoong  _ celebrated  _ feeling? 

Seonghwa let go of a tight breath. 

A cool hand brushed against Seonghwa’s cheek, tracing across it before settling against it- gentle and soft. 

“Seonghwa… will you look at me?” 

He did not want to. Did not want to face Hongjoong. Did not want to face what he had done, what he was still doing- 

Could he not say such simple things- without hiding his head away like a coward flinching away from a blow? 

Hongjoong’s thumb brushed his cheek- a tender, heart-rendering gesture that made Seonghwa’s hand leap up to grasp his wrist- gentle and barely even holding him, but a reactive movement. 

“Seonghwa…” 

He forced his eyes open, as if glaring against a bright light that burned. 

Hongjoong was the only light that shone back at him, his lips turned up in a quiet, serene smile that warmed his eyes like a pool warmed by the sun at midday. 

Ripples of emotion swam across Hongjoong’s eyes, but none of them were tears. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong whispered, eyes tracing Seonghwa’s skin like finger pads. 

Seonghwa did not respond, the bright light of day too open and vulnerable. 

Hongjoong pressed up, placing a gentle kiss to Seonghwa’s lips that he did not even give time to be returned before pulling away, his gaze as warm as a hot stone placed against snow. 

The ice that Seonghwa had built around himself was useless against it. 

“I must attend the meeting,” Hongjoong said quietly. “Do you think Wooyoung will be safe to wander, if he is not alone?” 

“I believe so,” Seonghwa said, throat unlocking enough at the return to business. 

Hongjoong nodded to himself as he strapped his sword to his side. “Will you return to your cave?” He questioned without looking at Seonghwa. “You can remain in here, if you wish. I was going to meet with Wooyoung and Yeosang after this-” 

“I will be here.” 

Hongjoong stopped short, glancing at Seonghwa, as if checking how willing he truly was, but whatever he saw enough to make his smile grow. “I will try not to keep you waiting,” Hongjoong promised. 

And then he was whisking away from the room like flurries caught in a breeze. 

Seonghwa stared at the door for much too long, feeling as if he had been turned to stone. Everything swirled through him like a hurricane, and he spent as much effort as he could, trying to categorize and organize it. 

His blood raced with what felt like adrenaline. 

His mind whirled with emotions he was not yet strong enough to acknowledge completely. 

His heart burned. 

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong made it to the door of the war room before he heard a soft call of his name from behind. 

“Hongjoong…” 

Yeosang jogged up behind Hongjoong, offering a hesitant, small smile- clearly a little off put after yesterday’s events. 

The prince paused and bowed briefly before looking Hongjoong in the eyes nervously. “Did… I- Wooyoung said he had gone to speak sense into Seonghwa…” He trailed off, wincing. “I do not think he was very delicate-” 

“Seonghwa and I have spoken,” Hongjoong assured him, a gentle smile on his lips that he had to fight to keep from growing to a suspicious length. “Things are returning to normal.” 

The sensation of Seonghwa’s weight against Hongjoong was permanently ingrained into Hongjoong’s skin. 

If it was still a dream, he never wished to wake. 

Yeosang at least looked relieved, nodding as he pressed a hand to his chest. “I was afraid he might make matters worse- he tends to speak without thinking often.” 

Hongjoong glanced behind the prince and found only empty hallway. “Where is he?” he questioned curiously. “I thought the two of you might be inseparable.” 

Yeosang averted his eyes, cheeks dusted, as he cleared his throat. “He was still sleeping when I left.” 

(Hongjoong internally chuckled, given that the two of them had officially been given two separate rooms. The part of the king that had once felt envious of their close nature, now only felt a satisfied glee at watching the two.) 

“He said he might walk through the woods to build his strength up, but knowing him he will sleep until late into the day.” Yeosang glanced at the door Hongjoong stood outside. “I..” He hesitated. “I had heard that the meeting was to discuss winter reserves?”

Hongjoong inclined his head, fighting back a smile as the prince skirted around whatever he meant to ask. 

(He forcibly shoved away the stray thought of Seonghwa’s lips, warm and firm-) 

Yeosang folded his hands formally. “I had wondered… if you might allow me to sit in on the meeting, Your Highness. My father had-” He choked only a little on the title. “- he bid me to learn what I could while I was here. He often does not have time for me to sit on his own meetings. I would-” 

“Of course, you may join, Yeosang.” 

The prince blinked, visibly taken aback by the quick agreement. “I- Are you sure? You would allow me to sit in on affairs of your kingdom?” he demanded. 

Hongjoong chuckled, opening the door halfway. “I do not see what risk you could pose to us by knowing where we keep our grain stores, seeing as your father already has some access to them under our treaty.” 

Yeosang still looked surprised, but by the time Hongjoong had half-entered the room and glanced back at the other with an expectant lift of his eyebrow, the prince jerked forward, thanking Hongjoong for his generosity. 

He chuckled as they entered into the room with their kingdom’s map spread across the table. Six advisors were already seated, all of them standing and bowing to the two who entered. 

Hongjoong waved a hand to set them at ease. “Prince Yeosang will be joining our meeting to allow him a view on how things are done.” 

The advisor who sat at Hongjoong’s right stood and bowed for the prince to take his seat. 

Yeosang did so, glancing around and taking in all the rolls of parchment and maps. 

Hongjoong’s lips quirked.”Shall we begin?” 

It was a rather dull and boring meeting. The advisors showed what information they had collected from around the kingdom- which villages were running low, which had a surplus, which were fighting, and which were struggling with their crops. 

“So far, there does not seem to be any threat of running out,” one of the advisors told him, standing. “However, those with extra food are afraid to give it away, should something happen within their own village.” 

Hongjoong hummed, frowning in concentration, almost having forgotten Yeosang’s presence beside him. “We must spread the food, regardless,” Hongjoong assured them. “But we may be able to offer some other form of compensation. These regions of surplus are near the West, correct? Near the plains and fields?” 

“Yes, sire.” 

“Then they must not have very much to burn for the winter,” Hongjoong decided, standing and shifting a piece across their map. “Send them firewood and kindle for their troubles, but we must be able to spread our resources-” 

The door slammed open hard enough that even Hongjoong jumped, head jerking up at the violent sound. 

A foreign messenger stumbled in, chunks of snow falling from his clothing as he barely caught himself on the door, eyes wide and wild. 

“ _ The Northern King is dead _ !” 

The hurried shout fell on a silent room, the messenger’s voice seeming to echo and rebound a million times. 

Hongjoong’s expression fell into shock, his hand falling away from the table and hanging by his side as the words fully processed within his mind. The weight that they truly carried. 

The Northern King…was… 

His heart suddenly stopped as he jerked his head to his right. 

Yeosang stared at the man in the doorway with eyes that were wide, blank, and unseeing- horror written into the cracks of his gentle face that had never seemed so young. 

His lips were parted, as if he intended to say something, but only silence rang as the messenger seemed to notice the prince, his eyes widening as he realized his presence. 

Nobody even breathed. Hongjoong could not find a single word. 

Yeosang stood slowly, never taking his eyes from the man in front of him. 

Hongjoong reached for his arm, heart twisting until he thought it would snap. 

“Yeosang-” 

Yeosang jerked his arm away roughly, never looking at Hongjoong as he walked quickly towards the messenger. 

“ _ How _ ?” he demanded, voice shaking- somewhere between fear and agony and fury. 

Hongjoong took a hesitant step forward. “Yeosang-” 

“How did he die?” the prince demanded, voice rising as his hands formed shaking fists. 

Ice gathered in Hongjoong’s heart at the prince’s fury. 

“The- The battle at the Southern Valley,” the messenger stuttered, afraid to look away from the prince who looked moments from falling apart. “A general of the army snuck into the camp during the night-” 

“Was he under a flag of truce?” Yeosang demanded, and Hongjoong finally stepped around the table. 

“Yeosang-” 

“No, sire,” the messenger managed quickly. “But there was a battle going on- no one expected a general to leave. It was the dead of night- The king was in his tent-” 

Hongjoong’s tongue froze to his mouth as Yeosang shook. 

The messenger swallowed. “The…. The King had fallen asleep at his desk while strategizing… They do not think he even awoke before…” He gestured vaguely, but the intent carried across. 

Yeosang’s expression held too much to name. 

_ “Your father is dead… Killed by grief at his son’s passing _ . _ ” Hongjoong was not even given a condolence.  _

Hongjoong reached for him, his own hands trembling in the memories of his own torment at the same news. 

“Yeosang…I’m sor-” 

Yeosang jerked away so violently, he stumbled, looking up at Hongjoong with eyes that burned with anger and bitterness and agony- 

“ _ No _ ,” the prince spat, gentle face twisted with ice and anger. 

And then he was gone- running from the room, not even bothering with his shoulder that shoved the messenger aside. 

Hongjoong stood- torn for only a moment on whether to run or remain. He glanced to the messenger. “When did it happen?” he demanded, voice as not as harsh as he intended. 

“Yesterday night, Your Highness,” he breathed, expression torn. “Our armies are attempting to regroup, but they have been sent into chaos.” 

Yeosang, the armies, Seonghwa, aid- 

He turned to one of his advisors. “Get Wooyoung from the guest quarters,” he snapped sharply. “Tell him Yeosang needs him. Ensure that neither are harmed, but leave them to their own wills.” He pointed to another. “Prepare to move whatever forces we can spare. I am going to speak with Seonghwa.” 

He made it two steps before an advisor called him back. “Sire- What do you intend to do?” he demanded. “It will take days to reach the Southern Valley- it will never be in time.” 

Hongjoong’s eyes were hard as icicles- ready to fall and pierce. “We will save their kingdom as we saved mine,” he swore, sprinting down the hall. 

The air burned his lungs, and he only hoped that Seonghwa had not left his chambers. Hongjoong did not have time to chase him down around the castle and grounds. 

Once more, time was not his ally. 

He shoved open the door to his chambers. 

“Seonghwa!” 

The dragon was sitting on the edge of his bed, one of Hongjoong’s books held loose in his hands- but it was cast aside as he leapt to his feet at the sudden intrusion, looking past Hongjoong with dark eyes- as if expecting to see someone running after him. 

His eyes sliced back to Hongjoong as he rushed further into the room. “What?” he demanded, taking a half-step towards him. 

Naturally, Hongjoong grasped the other’s wrist, holding it loosely. “I need your help,” He panted, cold air freezing his lungs, mind a frantic wind of planning and pleading. 

“What happened?” Seonghwa demanded, sharper, glancing behind Hongjoong once more, but finding no physical assailant. 

“I need you to gather dragons,” Hongjoong managed around the stitch in his side, his grip on his wrist tightening. “Any of them- Any that would be willing to fight-” 

“Why?” Seonghwa demanded, expression torn between confused and dark. “Why- What is happening-”

“Yeosang’s father is dead,” Hongjoong burst, his own chest feeling ready to break open. “The Northern King is dead- His armies are being overrun already. If I do not do something, Yeosang will have no home left to return to.” 

Seonghwa stared at Hongjoong, ice meeting desperation. 

“Please,” Hongjoong breathed. “Any dragon you can find- Our armies will never make it in time to make a difference, I need your help Seonghwa. There are too many armies involved in this war- We need more manpower than I have now-” 

“When?” Seonghwa said, jaw tightening. “When do you need them?”

There was a surge of something warm and powerful in Hongjoong’s blood, gratefulness and love wanting to burst from his veins. 

“Before tonight,” Hongjoong said, voice tight with its rush. “They will likely not survive another night. Wooyoung will not be able to aid- but I will tell him to remain here with Yeosang.” 

There was a brief second where Seonghwa seemed to consider everything, before there was a curt nod, and Seonghwa was twisting away, moving towards the balcony doors, eyes hard as obsidian. 

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong said quickly, snagging his wrist once more, stopping him. 

Seonghwa turned, expression unreadable in its determination, his lips silent. But Hongjoong didn’t need him to speak. 

Hongjoong kissed him- brief and quick, but the urge to do so was overwhelming. 

He pulled away, just enough where their noses brushed and Hongjoong’s eyes were close enough to Seonghwa’s to see everything. 

“I told you,” he breathed. “I have always known you by your actions.” 

Something flashed in Seonghwa’s eyes, but it was gone too quick to see. His mask seemed to weaken, but Hongjoong did not have time to sit and contemplate it. 

“Thank you,” he breathed quickly, breaking away and rushing from the room, leaving Seonghwa. 

They had a battle to prepare for. 

There were only two sets of footprints leading away from the front area of the castle, traveling around the side of it, the snow acting as his guide. 

Hongjoong followed them, his coat wrapped around him tightly. 

Everything inside of him wanted to leave Yeosang to mourn. To give the younger the time that Hongjoong had not been afforded to process his grief. 

But more people were dying- had already died. 

And like life, Hongjoong would need to hurry Yeosang along. At the very least, the prince needed to know what was going to happen. 

Hongjoong rounded a corner, and was faced with a crushing realization that Yeosang had one thing that Hongjoong had been deprived of during his own period of loss. 

Someone else beside him. 

Wooyoung knelt before Yeosang in the snow, his clothing soaked from the white that clung to him. 

Yeosang knelt in the snow, clinging to Wooyoung’s arms, his body seeming to be dragging down and down and down as his nails dug in, struggling to keep himself up as his head hung low. 

His cries were audible from where Hongjoong stood. 

They were angry and broken- echoing painfully in the quiet clearing, Wooyoung simply sitting quietly, hands braced against Yeosang, keeping him from falling into the snow when the prince seemed unable to hold himself up. 

Wooyoung said something quietly that Hongjoong couldn’t hear, one hand coming to brush through Yeosang’s hair gently. 

Yeosang shook his head sharply, limbs trembling as he kept shaking his head. 

“ _ No _ ,” he hissed, fingers digging into Wooyoung’s arms at a painful degree (for a normal human). “No, no,  _ no _ -” His voice grew more frantic, refusing to believe the weight it had been handed. “He’s not,” he ground out, still shaking his head. “Wooyoung, he’s  _ not _ \- He isn’t- Tell me he’s not, Wooyoung-  _ Tell me  _ he-” 

His voice broke, and so did Yeosang break further, sinking further against Wooyoung, cries more desperate and agonized. 

Wooyoung finally drew the prince up easily, pulling him closer until Yeosang practically laid over his lap, his head tucked against Wooyoung’s shoulder as the dragon’s arms wrapped around him hard enough to look painful. 

Yeosang’s fingers curled into white knuckled fists in the back of Wooyoung’s coat, his face hidden in his shoulder as Wooyoung pressed his face to Yeosang’s neck, both of them shaking with the force of his cries. 

Neither moved, but Hongjoong heard the quiet murmuring of comforting words that were most likely useless. 

Hongjoong wished he had had someone to whisper useless comforts to him. 

He should leave. He should allow Yeosang this time to grieve. He should allow them their privacy to act as they saw fit. 

But Hongjoong needed to only break into their world for a moment. 

Only a moment. And then he would let Yeosang grieve. 

Wooyoung looked over sharply at the sound of Hongjoong’s boots crunching through the snow, his eyes flashing a dangerous silver, even after realizing it was Hongjoong. His arms tightened around Yeosang, his body shifted, as if trying to hide the prince from sight. 

Hongjoong stopped only far enough away for his voice to be heard. 

Yeosang’s head dipped down further, as if trying to hide away. His hands shook. 

Hongjoong had spent days huddled in his room, alone and staring out at a people who called for his blood. He had tried to counsel to himself, to make a decision, to decide on something to feel, something to do- 

He had done all of it…. Alone. 

Wooyoung glared at Hongjoong. “What?” he asked, voice stiff and cold. 

Hongjoong didn’t know if Wooyoung thought he was truly a threat or if it he simply wanted Yeosang to be allowed his time alone. 

Hongjoong’s heart twisted, wishing that he didn’t stand alone now. 

“I sent Seonghwa to gather what dragons were willing to aid us,” Hongjoong told them quietly, knowing Yeosang could hear. “My advisors are gathering whatever men we can spare- though it may not be many. The men will travel as fast as they can, but I will take what dragons agree to aid us, in hopes that we will reach the battle before the tides change too irreparably.” 

There was a short pause before Yeosang’s head lifted, staring over Wooyoung’s shoulder at Hongjoong-his eyes red and his cheeks wet as he stared at him in confusion. “You…” His voice croaked and weakened. “You are sending… dragons to fight?” His grip did not loosen on Wooyoung, even as Wooyoung’s tightened on him. 

Hongjoong nodded. “I will go with them. We will try and salvage what of your kingdom we can. Wooyoung will remain here and guard you, in the eventuality that something should happen.” He felt cold, but couldn’t bring himself to shiver. “We will be leaving before nightfall.” 

Yeosang straightened further, bringing a hand around to wipe away the tears. “I-” His voice failed, Wooyoung’s hand on his back keeping him in place. “I should- I-” 

Hongjoong shook his head slowly, expression softening. “Stay here, Yeosang,” He assured him. “Wooyoung will remain with you, and hopefully within only a few days, I will return to tell you news of the outcome.” 

“And if you are to die as well?” Yeosang demanded, voice shaking, eyes colder than the snow soaking Hongjoong’s cuffs. “What will become of your kingdom? This is not your fight, Hongjoong-” 

“I allied with your father,” Hongjoong reminded him, touched by his concern but unmoved by his demands. “And I am now allied to you. I will not let your kingdom fall. Not when I could aid it.” 

Yeosang stared, tears clinging to his lashes and looking so much younger than he ever had. 

So young, as Hongjoong had been. 

Hongjoong had not been given an option. 

He would ensure Yeosang was given one. 

It only made Hongjoong’s resolve strengthen. Yeosang had no place fighting for his life. He was much too young to face those horrors. 

They had both been too young for the horrors they faced. 

Hongjoong would not allow him to be forced out of his mourning so rapidly, as he had been. Hongjoong would not allow him to face the consequences of such a torture. 

“Please remain near the castle,” Hongjoong said firmly. “I will send someone to inform you when we leave.” 

“Hongjoong-” 

“Yeosang,” he broke in sternly. The prince chewed his lip. “I will give you a home to return to,” he swore. “And I will make those that took your father from you pay dearly for that mistake.” 

Hongjoong’s heart lurched as Yeosang’s eyes filled with more tears, even Wooyoung’s expression softening slightly, glancing between Yeosang and Hongjoong, waiting for a signal for what to do. 

Hongjoong simply nodded, turning away rapidly when he felt his eyes begin to sting. 

He prayed that Yeosang was able to make peace with this death. He prayed that Yeosang understand how lucky he was to have Wooyoung at his side at such a demanding, horrific time. 

Hongjoong refused to feel bitter. He turned the pain into resolve. He would give Yeosang what he never had. 

Hongjoong shoved the emotions away, as he had gotten used to doing, meeting once more with advisors to discuss how quickly forces could be assembled. 

The main discovery was such: not fast enough. 

Their only hope was Seonghwa. Hongjoong was fitted with his most sturdy armor and checked his sword’s strength. He stood within his chambers, closing his eyes and breathing deeply as the last servant left, promising to bring him a light meal. 

The silence and solitude pressed upon him like stones intending to crush him. 

He glanced at the book Seonghwa had tossed aside upon Hongjoong’s entrance. It was nothing more than a book on geography. It was old… one Hongjoong had owned since he was a boy- the margins filled with notes and scribbles. 

He saw the sun climb higher and then lower in the sky- the blue of daytime not quite tinting into evening yet. 

_ Boom _ . 

There was suddenly a massive sound that shook the stones of the castle, and Hongjoong had to grab the bed post to steady himself as he righted himself, hearing the familiar sound of snorting and flames crackling. 

Hongjoong straightened, eyes widening as he stared out of his window and saw a massive, brilliant blue dragon float by. 

He turned, racing down the hallways as servants rushed back and forth. 

“Dragons!” they called to each other. “Dragons in the courtyard!”

“How many?”

“I did not count!”

“At least three!” 

“No, there were more!” 

Hongjoong burst out into the courtyard, running out into the snow that abruptly melted away as massive body landed among it. 

The familiar black mass of Seonghwa landed, shaking the ground, his friend standing before four other dragons. 

Four. 

Five in total. 

Seonghwa transformed, until it was one man standing before four dragons, and Hongjoong rushed over to him, his eyes in disbelief. 

In truth, he hadn’t expected even a single one to aid them in their cause. Dragons may have formed a truce with them, but nothing that would say that they needed to aid a kingdom that was not even the one they lived in. 

But four massive beasts stood before him, an array of colors presented. 

He recognized the deep emerald and earth of San’s scales, but the other three were foreign to him. 

Hope and gratefulness swelled in his heart. 

(Kim Hongjoong had undergone much heartache and fear in his life. But life is always sure to pay its debts.) 

“I gathered all that I could in such short a time.” Seonghwa’s voice was almost apologetic. 

Almost. 

“Seonghwa- How did you manage-” He stared in disbelief, standing before Seonghwa whose expression was still impassive. 

“San is considerably more social than I am,” Seonghwa said simply. “His friends had friends.” 

San’s scaley mouth quirked up, his tail swinging and wings beating. “_I only knew Jongho. He had hunted with Yunho a long time ago, and_ _Mingi’s den was nearby to Yunho’s.” _

A rich amber dragon bowed his head slightly when San introduced Jongho, his scales fiery and bright in the sunlight, a brighter yellow shade over his chest. 

Mingi stood a blazing crimson, deeper than blood and brighter than any berry Hongjoong had ever seen- silver plating across his breast. 

The bright cerulean blue and emerald green of Yunho’s scales made Hongjoong freeze, the shade and shape of him triggering a memory of falling. 

“You…” He stared at Yunho who snorted, almost looking amused. “You were one of the dragons under attack. The fight that Seonghwa and I entered.” 

The one where Hongjoong fell. 

The one where he and Seonghwa fought. 

Hongjoong remembered that blue dragon they had aided. 

“ _ Our kind have learned of and remembered you, King Hongjoong _ ,” Yunho said, eyes twinkling as bright as the sea. “ _ And as proud as dragons can be… we repay our debts _ .” 

The four dragons before him were blinding against the snow and sun. 

“ _ Perhaps you did not save all of us _ ,” Mingi said, his voice deep enough to rumble the earth itself. “ _ But you turned your land into a haven for us. Several have traveled to this kingdom to escape the war. To take part in the peace you formed _ .” 

“ _ I have lived here for a very few short years _ ,” Jongho said, his voice sounding almost like a child’s but he still stood larger than San. “ _ And I have never experienced such tranquility between man and beast. At first I did not think it possible… but you have done the impossible, King Hongjoong _ .” 

“ _ Perhaps not all think the same _ ,” San said, eyes glinting. “ _ But there are those among us who know and wish to repay all you have done for those who would be your enemies _ .” His eyes flashed, perhaps a bit too intentionally, to Seonghwa. 

Hongjoong stared, his throat closed up tight and his tongue numb in his mouth. 

They spoke alarmingly similarly to Seonghwa- those phrases and words that Hongjoong had never placed much weight on. 

He had never done a spectacular thing in his life. His entire life was nothing but a series of attempts to keep himself and his kingdom afloat. There was nothing so noble or amazing as they seemed to believe. 

But here were strangers… dragons who lived among his kingdom… ready to aid him. 

“I told you,” Seonghwa murmured, clearly intending for only Hongjoong to hear. “You are the better of your species, Hongjoong. And there are those among my kind who know this.” 

Hongjoong turned to him, still stunned into silence, his throat constricting painfully. 

Seonghwa had found these willing parties for him. Had done as Hongjoong asked without question. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong breathed, voice tight. 

(Life always repays.)

Seonghwa merely inclined his head. He glanced behind himself at the four dragons who watched them. “Are we to leave immediately?” Seonghwa asked, turning back to Hongjoong. 

The awe and gratitude of his heart were silenced as Hongjoong realized the true reason these dragons had gathered. He physically shook his head to clear it. 

“Yes,” he said, voice a little firmer and he began to step forward. “If we hurry, we should reach the Northern Kingdom by nightfall-” 

A hand caught his shoulder, jerking him to a stop, and Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa sharply, confused by the action. 

Seonghwa stared him, expression stony. “You are not coming.” 

It was not a suggestion. But Hongjoong was not quite sure where it came from. 

Hongjoong frowned. “Why would I not?” he demanded. “I am the one who held the treaty with his father. I told Yeosang I would ensure they paid for what they did-” 

“And you have done that,” Seonghwa said sharply, firmly. “But you are not going to ride into a battle of dragons against men. We have already seen how that ends.” 

The statement was not meant to hurt- Hongjoong could see that in Seonghwa’s eyes- but merely to remind. It still stung.

Hongjoong heard Yunho suck in a breath, seeing the dragons glance among themselves at the spat between the two humans. 

Hongjoong set his jaw. “I will not sit here  _ uselessly- _ ” 

“I am not going to carry you into _another _warzone that you will not walk away-” 

“I rode you into battle for my own kingdom,” Hongjoong snapped. “I will do the same for Yeosang-” 

“You will be useless,” Seonghwa said sharply, eyes narrowing. “You have no reason to-” 

“People are  _ dying _ , Seonghwa, we do not have time to sit here arguing-” 

“There is no  _ argument _ ,” Seonghwa said, voice turning cold, expression shifting into a glare. “You will not be riding any dragon here, and there is nothing you are able to do to change that. You are staying  _ here _ .” The finality in his voice made Hongjoong wince slightly. 

Another spat rose in Hongjoong’s throat, but he glanced behind Seonghwa and saw the four sets of eyes on them, his eyes tracing to Seonghwa’s tense shoulders and cold eyes- 

He jerked his shoulder away from Seonghwa’s grip, taking the dragon by the arm. 

“Come with me a moment,” He muttered, beginning to pull the man towards the castle. “Be prepared to within within the half hour,” Hongjoong called to the remaining four. “We will only be a moment.” 

Seonghwa pulled his arm from Hongjoong, but continued to follow, his expression stony and stiff, hiding  _ everything _ . 

Hongjoong only went far enough to take them out of the sight of the others, stopping at a curve in the outside of the castle, creating a little alcove for them to stand in. 

“Seonghwa, we do not have time for this,” Hongjoong said firmly, arms crossing tightly. “Did you truly think I intended to remain here?” 

“I did not think you would be foolish enough to attempt what we had already seen fail,” Seonghwa hissed, fists clenching. “I cannot be watching you throughout the battle-” 

“You will not  _ need _ to-” 

“The fact that you fell hundreds of feet during your last attempt of this proves otherwise,” he snapped. 

Hongjoong brow pulled down the longer he stared at Seonghwa’s anger. “Will you put away your facade of anger and  _ speak  _ to me, Seonghwa?” he demanded. 

Seonghwa recoiled a step, and Hongjoong waited. 

The bitter ice in his eyes faded only slightly, Seonghwa glancing around as if checking once more to ensure there were none to see. 

“Seonghwa…” Hongjoong's tone turned sad. Because he could  _ see _ Seonghwa at war with himself. 

“I will not allow you to come,” Seonghwa said, voice just as sharp, but his eyes not quite as threatening. “I will not bring you to your death like that. What do you even intend to  _ do _ , Hongjoong? We are not fighting dragons- on the ground, you will die as easily as any of those men.” 

“But I cannot just sit here,” Hongjoong pressed firmly. “Not when Yeosang’s home is threatened. They will need someone to guide them-” 

“ _ I will not take you to your death _ !” Seonghwa snapped, fists curling, advancing a step towards Hongjoong. “I will not see you survive every other impossible situation- only to lose you to your own need to fix every broken life you come into contact with!”

Internally, Hongjoong winced. 

Externally, Hongjoong stared, silent. 

Seonghwa’s fists shook, but Hongjoong saw his anger breaking away too easily, showing that fear beneath it. 

Hongjoong uncrossed his arms, allowing them to hang by his side as he reached towards Seonghwa slowly. Seonghwa pulled away from the touch, jaw tightening. 

“You are my weakness, Hongjoong,” he hissed. “I will not purposefully bring you to harm. I will not risk that.” 

And Hongjoong had almost forgotten that… Among everything that had been happening, he had forgotten for a moment that his life and Seonghwa’s were tied together. 

But Hongjoong reached for him again, fingers brushing Seonghwa’s before they pulled away. “Is that fear for your life… or my own?” 

Because while his lips spoke of selfish fear, his eyes were begging Hongjoong to just stay in safety. 

“Does it matter?” Seonghwa snapped, expression locking down once more. 

Hongjoong closed the distance between them, his hands framing Seonghwa’s face gently- his skin still so warm despite being out in the cold. 

Seonghwa froze this time, rather than pulling away, as if Hongjoong had finally managed to tether him down. Hongjoong’s eyes bored into Seonghwa’s. 

“Do you trust me, Seonghwa?” he whispered, thumbs brushing over the swell of his cheek. “I need this answer now… once and for all.” 

As if Hongjoong’s touch were some form of magic, the anger in Seonghwa’s eyes had disappeared, leaving only that tired fear staring back at him. 

It was as if they were tucked away, back in Hongjoong’s chambers, with nothing but the two of them to hear each other. 

Seonghwa’s hands came up to wrap around Hongjoong’s wrist, but they did not try to pry his hands away. They merely rested against him, warm and gentle. 

Seonghwa’s eyes fell closed as they often did. 

“How can I trust someone so weak to the world?” he breathed, expression pinching. “Hongjoong, it does not matter if I trust you- Regardless, you are vulnerable and a risk.” 

Perhaps Hongjoong would be touched at the concern (he was not insulted by the words he knew were true), but now was not the time to swoon. Seonghwa’s eyes half-opened, staring down at Hongjoong passed his lashes. 

“Seonghwa, you cannot live your life looking over your shoulder for me,” Hongjoong said quietly. “And I know that it is painful for you to say it, but I need your actions to speak for you now.” His eyes hardened with determination. “I need you to trust me, Seonghwa,” he breathed. “Yeosang’s kingdom will need someone to help lead them after the fight. I  _ must _ be there.” 

Hongjoong could feel the tense and release of the muscles along Seonghwa’s jaw- displeasure and every other emotion raging within him as Hongjoong waited, watching the wax and wane of determination in his eyes. 

Hongjoong would find a way to follow, regardless of what Seonghwa had to say. But he wanted to know that Seonghwa would make that decision himself. 

He wanted to know he had that trust. 

Seonghwa’s hands fell away from Hongjoong’s wrists, his shoulder dropping and tensing as he averted his eyes to the ground. A surrender. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong breathed. 

“Do not thank me for allowing you to follow me to your death,” Seonghwa snapped, voice weaker than before. 

“You cannot keep believing that any situation I am not perfectly safe in will end in my death,” Hongjoong said, lips twitching slightly. 

Seonghwa did not find it so amusing. “If there was ever a time to believe you would die, it would be here,” he said darkly. 

“Seonghwa-” 

“I will not stop you from coming,” Seonghwa said, stepping away, eyes dark. “But do not think that I do it with pleasure.” 

The words cut as Seonghwa turned and marched through the snow, leaving behind a trail for Hongjoong to follow once his lungs unlocked. 

His freezing fingers curled into painful fists as he stared after Seonghwa until the dragon disappeared from sight. 

Did this even count as trust? 

Hongjoong knew it was fear. And he understood that, but could Seonghwa not trust him for even a moment? Could he not see through his own fear and understand that Hongjoong needed to go and aid Yeosang’s kingdom?

Could Seonghwa not see that Hongjoong would not allow a kingdom to follow the path his own almost fell down? 

Hongjoong followed the trail back to the other dragons, picking up pace as he went. 

He could mourn Seonghwa’s lack of emotional diversity after they returned. 

Safe. 

Seonghwa had already transformed when Hongjoong arrived, and when Hongjoong approached, he was faced with a small dilemma. 

Because surely Seonghwa had no desire to let Hongjoong ride him at the moment, but Hongjoong had no idea who else to go to. He had ridden San once, but who- 

Seonghwa did not look at him, but he rested his stomach against the snow- his shoulders dropping as he did before when Hongjoong would mount him. 

Despite their fight… Seonghwa still chose him. 

Hongjoong hesitated, wondering if it would be best to tell Seonghwa he would ride with another. 

But Hongjoong did not want that. 

Hongjoong did not want to reject the offering. He marched up, climbing with more ease than a steed, situating himself and grabbing Seonghwa’s scales. 

“Everyone fly as quickly as they are able,” Hongjoong told them, his frigid hands warming against the heated scales. “Do not worry about staying together- our goal is to reach and aid the Northern kingdom before more damage can be done.” 

“ _ Excellent _ ,” Jongho said, wings spreading in excitement, stirring up snow flurries. 

“ _ Oh, no _ ,” San sighed, shaking his head. 

“ _ Prepare for defeat, little one _ ,” Yunho chuckled, spreading his wings that ran longer than Jongho’s entire body. 

“ _ We leave immediately _ ?” San asked, eyeing the two dragons beside him. 

Hongjoong nodded. “The Northern armies are dressed in white and marked with blue crystals as their crests. All else are our enemies, understand?”

“ _ Perfectly _ ,” Jongho chuckled before forcing his wings down in a massive movement that blew snow in every direction, the lithe dragon’s body arcing into the sky. 

Another blast of air as Yunho raced after him, blue disappearing with the shade of sky that shone above them. 

Moments later, the rest of them were in the air, Hongjoong’s body pressed against Seonghwa’s back (the warmth of his scales was pleasant enough to make the air less frigid and miserable). 

By the time Hongjoong adjusted enough to open his eyes (sitting up was not an option at the speed they flew at, the wind forcing him to embrace Seonghwa’s scales), they were high enough for the trees to appear as toys. 

He opened his eyes to San flying beside Seonghwa, chuckling. 

“ _ Those two will likely be there before the sun has fully set _ ,” he assured Hongjoong. “ _ They both believe themselves to be the fastest. Jongho is lithe, but Yunho’s wings are large _ .” 

Hongjoong hummed. “I do not particularly care how they arrive, so long as they are able to help.” 

“ _ Why do you care so much for another kingdom _ ?” 

Hongjoong forced his head to face the other way, Mingi’s crimson scales blinding this high in the sky where the sun was brightest. He frowned. “Why would I not? We are allies.” 

“ _ Enlisting dragons to aid you _ ?” Mingi posed. “ _ Sending your own armies? The king is dead. Your alliance with him ended with his life, until his son is coronated. And yet you bring yourself into their battle. Most would let the alliance die with him and cut their losses _ .” 

Hongjoong’s grip on Seonghwa tightened. “I would not abandon Yeosang’s kingdom any more readily than I would abandon my own. No more than I would abandon the dragons I allianced myself with.” 

San laughed, making Hongjoong look back towards him. “ _ You are the funniest human in existence _ ,” the emerald dragon chuckled. “ _ It’s so fascinating. It is as if you believe everyone in the world is as honest and kind-hearted as you _ .” 

“I-” 

“ _ Leave him be _ ,” came Seonghwa’s sudden, sharp snap, making San fall silent in surprise. 

“ _ I was not insulting him- _ ” 

“ _ Leave him be _ ,” Seonghwa repeated, turning flaming lanterns to San. “ _ Stop analyzing his every decision and simply be grateful you were able to benefit from them _ .” 

Mingi’s deep laughter arced through the sky. “ _ He is so protective of his human. The entire kingdom knows it- _ ” 

A blast of green fire licked at Mingi’s forelegs, but the dragon simply arced through the air, avoiding it with more laughter he soared further above him, staying there, apparently satisfied with their conversation. 

His human. 

“ _ Seonghwa is a bit of an outcast among our kind, did you know _ ?” San teased, clearing enjoying how Seonghwa turned his burning gaze on him. “ _ For aligning himself with a human- _ ” 

Another burst of flame, and San laughed, not at all concerned as he flew up to glide with Mingi. 

Hongjoong was suddenly alone with Seonghwa who stared ahead resolutely, stoic and silent. And Hongjoong knew that it was probably in his best interest to ignore the comment and let it die. To bring it up another time. 

“You… are an outcast?” Hongjoong questioned quietly. 

“ _ I spent my time alone before you ever came into my life _ ,” Seonghwa said sharply, clearly wanting to end the conversation. “ _ Aligning myself with a human did nothing to my life I did not already seek out before _ .” 

Hongjoong stared at the midnight scales beneath him, his heart growing heavy. “I…” 

Despite Seonghwa’s words, it only made Hongjoong’s heart heavier. 

“Even if you were trying to save your species?” Hongjoong asked. “They still scorned you for that?”

“ _ Dragons do not particularly care for reasoning _ ,” Seonghwa said shortly. “ _ My intent did not matter. I lowered myself to aid a human. An enemy _ .  _ Despite your alliance. _ ” 

Hongjoong lifted his eyes to San and Mingi where they flew above the two, slightly further ahead of them. “The others,” he said suddenly, his stomach dropping. “San and the others… will they be outcasted after this?” 

Seonghwa was silent. 

Hongjoong’s blood ran a little cold. “Seonghwa-” 

“ _ Do not make yourself feel guilty for something that was their decision _ ,” Seonghwa snapped sharp enough to make Hongjoong wince. “ _ You will always find a way to blame yourself for things you had no control over- Stop  _ blaming  _ yourself for things, Hongjoong _ !”

Hongjoong’s lips pressed together, holding back the worst of his snap. “You have a habit of speaking around the questions I ask you, Seonghwa,” he said firmly. “The answer to my question was yes.” 

“ _ They made their choice- _ ” 

“I am not blaming myself!” Hongjoong yelled over the roaring wind and voice speaking to him. He straightened halfway against the wind. “But I feel slightly different knowing that they are risking more than their time for the sake of helping me! I only wish to understand my debts,  _ Seonghwa-  _ I have no intention of losing myself to a guilt I have no right to feel!” 

Hongjoong saw Mingi and San both looking to them, but Hongjoong only continued to glare at the back of Seonghwa’s head. 

“I am not some simpleton that loses myself to my emotions every time they arise- despite what you may think-” 

“ _ That is not what I think _ ,” Seonghwa snapped, and Hongjoong wished he was human so Hongjoong could understand his emotions more clearly. Especially when his voice next came out quieter. More controlled. Gentler. “ _ You know that is not what I think, Hongjoong... _ ” 

Hongjoong’s fist curled as they passed a great distance in silence. 

“ _ Do you deny that you feel guilty that they will be outcasts after this battle _ ?” Seonghwa questioned, voice much softer than it had been all day. 

“Of course I feel guilt for it,” Hongjoong sighed, his blood not quite so heated. “But it is only because they risk these things for a fight that is not even their own. A fight I asked them to enter.” 

“ _ Had they truly wanted to, they would have denied me without a second thought _ ,” Seonghwa told him firmly. “ _ But they all had a desire to repay their debts that was greater than their desire to keep their lives in tact _ .” 

It was a small comfort. 

Hongjoong slowly lowered himself back against Seonghwa’s scales, feeling more secure against him now that he no longer stood against the wind. 

He stared off into the sky. 

Hongjoong truly had too many things on his mind to pick a single thing to focus on, but he didn’t want to focus on the battle they headed towards. 

His mind drifted to Yeosang. 

He pressed his lips together. “I hope Yeosang finds some peace in his father’s death,” he said- quiet enough he wasn’t sure if Seonghwa heard. He wasn’t sure he even intended for Seonghwa to. “I hope his grief is brief…” 

But there was only a long silence that made it seem as if Seonghwa hadn’t heard him. The snow began to fall, and Hongjoong pressed closer to Seonghwa’s back. 

“ _ Was that letter the last thing you had of your brother _ ?” 

Hongjoong stiffened, his fingers digging into hard scale as his blood suddenly turned cold. 

The letter. 

“What letter?” he breathed, afraid to lift his eyes. 

“ _ The one your brother sent from the camp with your father _ .” Seonghwa’s voice was too calm. Too purposeful. 

Hongjoong’s stomach flipped. “You read it?” 

“ _ Yes _ .” It wasn’t that Seonghwa sounded unapologetic… it seemed as if he wasn’t sure if he should. 

Hongjoong wasn’t sure if he should, either. He wasn’t upset at the revelation… but Hongjoong had to wonder at what point Seonghwa had read it. 

The silence had become the sound of their breathing and thinking. 

(Any person who truly cares what they say to another will spend much of their time in silence around them.) 

“It was not the last,” Hongjoong said quietly, but sure, now, that Seonghwa heard him. 

Hongjoong was suddenly twelve years old and being passed a folded letter by a messenger he didn’t recognize who told him to read it only within the confines of his room. 

“He returned many times after that,” Hongjoong told Seonghwa, eyes staring off. “It is one of only five letters he was ever able to send me during all the time he and my father traveled.” 

Hongjoong remembered waiting for weeks to see if his brother would find time to write to him. 

“At times, his letters were the only thing able to give me strength in his absence,” Hongjoong murmured. “Even if one never came… I waited each day he was gone. My one thing I could hope for.” 

Another stretch of silence. The skies had just begun to darken towards the barest shade of orange. 

“ _ What happened to the other four letters _ ?” Seonghwa questioned. 

Once more, they had traveled so far from the yelling and accusations they had been in the throes of only hours ago. 

Hongjoong shifted, flexing his hand, heart sinking low. “My father discovered them,” he said, forcing his voice not to waver. “He burned the ones he had found… this last letter I had hidden beneath my pillow.” 

Hongjoong remembered climbing into bed that evening, crying so hard he was afraid he would make the ink run off the page. He had hidden the paper away, too afraid of harming it. 

“Father was not pleased with either of us,” Hongjoong murmured, chewing the inside of his cheek. 

“ _ Your father… _ ” Seonghwa trailed off, and Hongjoong waited to see if he would continue or let the thought die. Seonghwa’s voice was almost… hesitant. “ _ Did he ever… harm you _ ?” 

Hongjoong was silent. 

“ _ Hongjoong _ ?” 

His tongue stuck to the top of his mouth as something painful slowly shoved into his heart. 

“ _ Hongjoong- _ ” 

“No,” he finally whispered, surely too low for Seonghwa to hear, but the dragon did not prompt him to speak again. Hongjoong closed his eyes. “No, he never harmed me… at least never physically. His punishments were in the form of ignoring me and reminding me in loud shouting matches where I stood in status compared to my brother.” 

His brother never let him believe it. His brother would end his own life before allowing Hongjoong to ever believe that he was his brother’s lesser. 

It still did not lessen the ache to hear his father say such things. 

“ _ You say that as if it were any better _ ,” Seonghwa muttered, sounding bitter and dark. 

“I was not important enough to hurt,” Hongjoong assured him. “And my father would never risk my brother by striking him. My brother was given a stern lecture, and I was simply shoved further aside.” 

Hongjoong could tell the silence coming from Seonghwa was about to lead into a conversation Hongjoong was not willing to have at the moment. “ _ Hongj- _ ” 

“Now is not the time to be having this conversation,” Hongjoong said firmly, shaking his head to clear it. He brought a hand up, rubbing at his eyes that were perfectly dry. “You may ask all about the horrors of my past after we ensure the survival of Yeosang’s kingdom.” 

The sun began to set on their silence. 

Hongjoong allowed himself only a moment to appreciate Seonghwa’s concern for his past. Even if it was something gone and buried. 

(Buried deaths often come with their ghosts, however.) 

Our first battle we witnessed Kim Hongjoong ride into was not the focus of our story, and thus was mainly cut out of its telling. 

Whether to the regret or the relief of the reader, you will find this battle is also not very relevant to our story. 

However, it is a little bit relevant. Enough so that we will see one little portion of it. 

A very important portion, indeed. 

The portion that shattered the worlds as we needed it to. 

Hongjoong clung to Seonghwa back as the dragon flew at a pace almost too quick for him to hold on for. 

In the dead of night, the darkness lit up in hues of red, green, and white flames that burned away the snow and blood. 

“ _ Dragons _ !” 

The call was taken up- already roaring and screaming when Hongjoong arrived. 

However, Hongjoong came to realize that they were not the only beasts on the battlefield. 

“What are the Northern dragons fighting for?” Hongjoong yelled over the carnage, his hand reaching for his sword at his side. 

“ _ More human deaths _ ,” Seonghwa said before breathing a fire hot enough to burn a Northern dragon’s leg black. “ _ Hongjoong, I swear if you attempt something as stupid as before- _ ” 

“Who is not-” His eyes scanned the skies. “ _ Jongho _ !” he yelled. 

“ _ What are you doing _ ?” Seonghwa demanded, diving low enough to overturn tents and horses with his wings. 

“Leading,” Hongjoong said, loosening his grip on Seonghwa as the other dragon rose high in the sky. 

Jongho’s amber scales almost blended in with the night as he flew alongside Seonghwa. 

“Seonghwa must fight,” Hongjoong called over the war beneath them. “I need you to take me low- I need to rally the troops, they are too far spread!”

“ _ How do you intend to do that _ ?” Jongho asked, glancing between the distance between them. 

Hongjoong stood, one foot braced on the edge of Seonghwa’s scale. “Hold still,” he ordered, the wind pushing against him, but not moving him. 

“ _ Hongjoong _ !” Seonghwa shouted, but Hongjoong kicked off, leaping the distance between the two dragons. 

His feet slipped off of Jongho, but his fingers caught the grooves, allowing him to pull his dangling body back over from the edge. 

“ _ Hongjoong, you cannot- _ ” 

He looked around Jongho at Seonghwa. 

Gold eyes met determination. 

“Keep the enemy moving backwards,” Hongjoong ordered, sitting low. “I will have the troops come from the East.” 

“ _ Hongjoong _ .” 

The last yell of his name almost sounded like a plead. 

“To the base, Jongho,” Hongjoong said before he could think about what he was doing. Jongho apparently didn’t care what Seonghwa was yelling, racing down into the battle. 

Hongjoong’s experience on the battlefield may be limited, but there are some things you simply do not forget. 

And life had many debts to repay to Kim Hongjoong. 

“To the East!” Hongjoong yelled over the people screaming as Jongho glided low- just above their heads. They flinched away, but some raised their heads. 

“ _ The Dragon King _ !” 

“Rally to the East!” Hongjoong ordered. “The army will be pushed back- do not fall back! The dragons of my kingdom will aid you!  _ To the East _ !” 

There was confusion and shoving and shouting. 

But the Northern army began to push forward. 

Atop Jongho, Hongjoong rose high and dipped low- sharp claws raking across enemy dragons and flames burning the enemy at the ground. He barely had time to glance around to see how the others fought, but he knew that as the flames grew, giving them light to see… 

The enemy army slowly fell back. 

Enemy dragons flew off to nurse their wounds or avoid gaining anything worse than had already been inflicted. 

It was the dead of night. The snow was practically all melted by the flames. Trees burned and lit the battleground. Man and beast ran and fought. 

Hongjoong did not feel satisfaction at their retreat, but he urged the army to continue to push- this time with others on the ground taking up his cry.

It felt like hope blooming across the death-strewn field. 

Jongho arced high into the sky at Hongjoong’s order, giving him a larger range of vision. 

Battle raged on the ground- blood melting what snow had not been burned away. 

Mingi snapped his jaw around a Northern dragon’s neck and threw it to the ground, among the enemy army that was crushed beneath its body. 

Yunho flew low, wings slashing like swords through the masses and their steeds. 

San lit more trees, his tail slamming into Northern dragons that dared approach the Northern army, sending them whimpering away. 

“ _ They are retreating _ !” 

Hongjoong’s eyes snapped to the ground at Jongho’s elated cry, and saw the enemy army finally turn around, no longer attempting to hold their ground, but finally giving way under the forces against them. 

“Mingi!” Hongjoong yelled, earning the crimson dragon’s attention. “All of you- Keep pushing them back! We do not stop until they are running for the border!” 

The beast grinned wickedly, calling to Yunho and San to follow. 

The army kept running. The Northern army kept pushing them back. 

Hongjoong allowed himself to release a breath of relief. 

He  _ dared  _ allow himself to be relieved. 

White streaked past them at an almost unimaginable speed. 

Hongjoong realized, as he followed the blur with his eyes, that there was one ally he had yet to locate. 

Hidden among the midnight around them with his inky appearance, Hongjoong only knew there was anything floating in the air above them by the white of the Northern dragons’ hides. 

The three hides that all attacked something hidden within the darkness. 

Flames lit up the area, and Hongjoong distinctly saw two of the Northern dragons with their teeth caught in Seonghwa’s neck and wing. 

The only thing keeping him up was one wing beating furiously and the dragons attacking him. 

For a moment, Hongjoong felt frozen. 

The third dragon blew a fury of ice that caught Seonghwa’s other wing, the pitch black beast tilting at the sudden weight, more flames reaching for the dragons, but he couldn’t turn enough to get a good aim at them- 

Ice began to creep from the areas the dragons bite, a cry sounding from Seonghwa in the form of a deafening roar. 

Jongho finally followed the sound, turning to face the outnumbered fight. 

Hongjoong jerked back to his senses at the roar. 

“Jongho!” he yelled, not even sure what he was ordering, but Jongho suddenly raced towards the cluster that hovered above them. 

Hongjoong drew his sword, his body screaming for Jongho to go faster- 

The third dragon sank his teeth into Seonghwa’s neck, twisting its body sharply and yanking the black beast sickeningly, Hongjoong’s stomach lurching- 

Suddenly, Seonghwa was gone. 

Jongho pulled up short, just as confused by the sudden lack of a victim, the three dragons parting and searching the sky with deadly snarls- 

Hongjoong saw a small, limp shape slip between the three Northern beasts, falling in the night. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ !” 

Jongho’s head jerked around, trying to locate where Hongjoong was speaking to- 

The Northern dragon followed faster than Jongho, its icy blue eyes snapping to the limp, human body falling from an unimaginable height. 

The Northern dragon tucked into a dive, wings pulled close, alerting the other two who followed at a slower pace, still not seeing their target. 

Hongjoong did not think. 

His decisions were never made with logic. They were made in a desperate attempt to keep himself and his kingdom afloat. 

This was a desperate attempt to keep Seonghwa alive. 

Logic had no place in his plan as Hongjoong slid from Jongho’s side, pushing off of the amber dragon’s side to aid him in falling faster. 

And Hongjoong was falling, tucked against himself to try and catch up to the three beasts. 

“ _ Hongjoong _ !” 

Jongho’s cry was confused and alarmed, but Hongjoong didn’t even glance at him as he fell past the two (much heavier) beasts. 

“Seonghwa!” 

The Northern dragon that was following him glanced back at Hongjoong. Hongjoong brought the arm holding his sword out- teeth clenched until it felt like they would crack. 

Its break in concentration was enough as Hongjoong slammed into the dragon’s side, his sword glancing off of its side, but his hand catching enough that he stayed on its back. 

Here is where life begin to repay Kim Hongjoong. 

Hongjoong felt his foot catch in a chink in the dragons’ armor- enough of a resistance for him to brace himself off of as he kicked off of the thrashing dragon as he had done with Jongho, racing after Seonghwa’s falling body. 

Did Hongjoong know what his plan was once he reached Seonghwa? No. 

The bitter wind stung his eyes, but he forced them to stay open as he closed the distance between them- Seonghwa’s body eagle spread and his expression showing that he had no idea what was happening. Hongjoong wasn’t even sure he was conscious. 

He almost released his sword- almost let it fly away in the wind to reach for Seonghwa. 

Another repayment. 

Hongjoong tightened his grip on the sword, his numb fingers not even able to feel the icy steel beneath them- 

“Seonghwa!” 

Hongjoong arm flew out as they continued to fall. He could hear roars behind them. 

His fingers brushed through the sleeve of Seonghwa’s shirt, and Hongjoong latched on with all the strength he had and  _ pulled _ . As they both free fell through the air- nothing to even slow their fall- Hongjoong pulled. 

Seonghwa’s body and his collided, Hongjoong wrapping his arms around the other as tightly as he could, holding them pressed together. 

Seonghwa’s body felt colder than it should. 

Hongjoong grit his teeth, trying to see through the spinning of their fall- he tried to orient himself, tried to see if there was anything, any way to help them, to save them- 

There was a blur of white. 

Life repaid once more. 

Hongjoong swung his sword blindly, not even sure what he was hoping to accomplish, but he swung- his other arm holding Seonghwa all the tighter, aching with how hard he pressed them together- 

He felt his sword slide deep between the dragon’s scales against all odds, up to its hilt. 

Hongjoong felt a burst of hope, tightening his hold on Seonghwa, begging for them to- 

The dragon suddenly flew upward, crying out in pain. 

The were slammed to a stop suddenly at the change in direction, Hongjoong’s arm jarring painfully as the sword was ripped from his grip. They were slowed for only a moment before his grip failed. 

They fell once more, Hongjoong hissed breaths between his teeth as his shoulder throbbed, pain racing through it as he brought it around Seonghwa once more, using everything he could to keep them from separating. 

Hongjoong didn’t even know why he bothered. 

He saw trees rushing towards them, too fast, too soon, not enough time- 

Hongjoong wrapped around Seonghwa as best he could, his breath not even coming to his chest as he tucked the other’s head beneath his chin. 

Hongjoong knew that Seonghwa could survive a large fall. But he didn’t think even Seonghwa’s abilities would allow him to walk away from such a distance. 

Hongjoong twisted desperately in the air, his back facing the ground, Seonghwa wrapped in his arms. 

He clenched his eyes shut, his teeth gritting together, bracing himself with fear clenching his heart until no blood passed through his veins. 

“I love you, “ he managed just as he felt branches snap under their weight. 

Hongjoong’s back slammed into something hard and unforgiving, and he was aware of nothing more than pain and darkness that swallowed him. 

~~~~~~~~

Is our story over yet? 

Not quite. 

Life can be scary sometimes. It can hold events and ending that we can’t anticipate. Ones that we don’t want to face… and some that we don’t feel we’re capable of facing. 

Life is terribly frightening. It is full of pain and dark shadows. It has hidden corners and things that threaten everything we’ve ever built. 

Sometimes it feels as if all life does is take. Sometimes, it feels as if life has never given anything back to us. 

But life is long. It is long and it seems never ending, but that is where life is beautiful. 

Life is beautiful because it ends. If it never ended, why should we bother to admire it? Why should a dragon have such a frightening weakness, if that weakness’ life did not end so easily? 

Why should Hongjoong desperately attempt to remain close to his friend, if there was not the threat that he lose his own life or his friend’s? 

Life is terribly frightening, but it is so beautiful. You do not need to understand life, nor do you need to sit and admire it. 

But you should not forget that fact. 

Life is beautiful because it ends. 

(This is important.) 

Life ends. Stories do not. 

~~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong woke up to darkness. 

Or rather… Hongjoong regained consciousness to darkness. 

His eyes remained closed. Perhaps that’s what was causing the lack of light. But he couldn’t quite bring the strength to open them. 

His body ached. Horribly. 

He attempted to make a movement towards rolling onto his side but got no further than tightening his muscles in preparation to move before a pained noise caught in his throat, stilling his movement. 

He sucked in a deep breath that made his back scream in protest, everything a burning sort of pain- 

“Hongjoong?” 

The voice was much too quiet. Too gentle. Too scared. Too small. Too uncertain. 

Too familiar. 

Hongjoong knew that voice. Still, he could not make his eyes open, his lids twitching with the effort he made. 

“Hongjoong.” Closer this time. 

Something warm laid over his hand. He hadn’t realized how cold he was until the heat pressed against him. 

_ Seonghwa _ . 

Falling. 

Alive. 

Hongjoong struggled. He grit his teeth and forced his tired, battered body to obey because  _ Seonghwa  _ was beside him, alive and  _ calling  _ to him, and Hongjoong  _ needed  _ to see him  _ right now-  _

His eyes cracked open, barely able to see past his eyelashes that hung in the way. 

But he saw Seonghwa. 

He saw pale skin and eyes that looked like they had been haunted with sleepless nights. He saw clear eyes that stared at him in frantic disbelief, more emotion being openly displayed than Hongjoong could ever remember- 

His fingers curled around Seonghwa’s hand that rested against him- weak, but there. 

A sound escaped Seonghwa. Something like sounded like a wet laugh of relief, mixed with something holding too much horror to bare. Hongjoong had never heard that sound from him before. 

Warmth traced across his body. His hands, his arms, his cheeks, his hair, his chest- 

Another, frantic release of breath. 

“ _ Hongjoong _ .” 

Hongjoong blinked slowly, almost afraid to close his eyes for fear he would not be able to get them open again. He could barely see Seonghwa through the light that filtered into the room, hurting Hongjoong’s eyes, his body aching- 

“S… Seon... hwa…” 

It felt like speaking through sand, his lips numb and his tongue heavy in his mouth- 

Seonghwa was suddenly over him. 

Casted like a blanket tossed over a body, Seonghwa laid over him like a weight anchoring Hongjoong to his present. 

Hands warmed his chilled cheeks, and lips that felt hot compared to his skin pressed against his- gentle and slow, but flavored with desperate relief and frantic fear. 

Hongjoong’s fingers grasped at Seonghwa’s sleeve weakly, wishing he could muster the strength to hold him properly, his chest expanding as Seonghwa traced his hands over Hongjoong’s cheeks, one holding at the curve of his neck, so warm, so warm- 

Hongjoong’s eyes fell closed again, the warmth and weight and familiarity of the body pressing against him lulling him back into safety. 

“Never again,” Seonghwa breathed against Hongjoong’s lips frantically, his hands pressing to his hair, brushing it back, brushing across Hongjoong’s body as if trying to find anything wrong with it. “Never again-  _ Never _ , Hongjoong- Do not- Do not  _ dare  _ to threaten to leave me again-” 

Hongjoong couldn’t quite keep up with everything spilling from Seonghwa’s lips, but the sudden dampness that dripped to his skin made his chest constrict violently. 

“Do not,” Seonghwa breathed, his breath ghosting over Hongjoong’s skin, and Hongjoong wanted to see him again, wanted to open his eyes, his fingers still shaking with the effort to keep his hold on Seonghwa’s sleeve. “Do not leave attempt to leave me like that again, Hongjoong- Do you understand me?” he hissed, voice beginning to shake. “Do not- You and your stupid, fragile human life- Do not dare to make me face the loss of you, Hongjoong-” 

The fingers that traced his face trembled, gentle, as if afraid to harm. 

Hongjoong’s grip gave out, his hand falling onto the bed he lay on. He was so tired, but sleep was the last thing he wished to face. 

Seonghwa’s forehead pressed to his heavily, and Hongjoong felt tears drip onto his cheeks. 

“I am sorry,” Seonghwa whispered, barely loud enough for even Hongjoong to hear. “I am so sorry- Do not leave me, Hongjoong. I have made so many mistakes, but do not leave me. Do not make me lose you. I told you the words would not come, that you would spend your life waiting for words I could never say-” 

Trembling hands frames his face, dragging down it gently. 

“I will say them,” Seonghwa swore, his voice for only the two of them. These words were for no one but them. “I will say them,” he promised. “Whatever you need me to say- All the things I have felt but have been too coward to tell you, I will never let you doubt them again, Hongjoong, I swear-” 

His voice failed. 

Or perhaps Hongjoong fell back asleep. 

He didn’t think he was asleep. He felt too warm, he was too aware of the hands still framing his face, the tears tracking down his cheeks, the weight of Seonghwa against him as he made all these promises that Hongjoong didn’t need- 

Hongjoong didn’t need words. 

Lips pressed to his forehead, staying there for a long moment, as if afraid to pull away, the shaking hands brushing his hair from his forehead. 

Hongjoong wanted to open his eyes. To speak. To reassured Seonghwa, to touch him, to hold him back, to tell him that Hongjoong didn’t need the words, to tell him that he was never going to leave him, he would never dream to leave him because Seonghwa had never left him- 

Seonghwa had never left him. 

Somewhere between begging his body to awaken and Seonghwa’s weight leaving him, Hongjoong was overtaken by another dark wave. 

~~~~~~~~~

His world has shattered. 

Truly and viscerally, Seonghwa has been left with nothing. Nothing that he once knew still held true. 

His world had been shattered. Utterly razed to the ground. 

Seonghwa trusted Hongjoong. 

While the dragon has been unable to say it, he did. 

Hongjoong trusted Seonghwa. He knew that Seonghwa would face danger, but he trusted the dragon. 

Seonghwa could not trust Hongjoong like that. 

And it was not that Seonghwa did not trust Hongjoong, but he could not trust Hongjoong’s life in the hands of others.

Because while Hongjoong had trusted and lost and gained so many people… His brother, Yeosang, Seonghwa, San, the other dragons who aided them, Wooyoung- 

Seonghwa had only Hongjoong. 

Only Hongjoong that he had ever cared for. Only Hongjoong that he had ever realized the frailty of his life, the non-permanence of his presence. Only Hongjoong whose death had ever been unthinkable to Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa trusted Hongjoong, Seonghwa cared for Hongjoong, Seonghwa loved Hongjoong- 

He was the only one that Seonghwa had ever trusted, cared for, loved- 

Seonghwa could not lose him. He could not bear it. 

And for once, there was not a thought of his weakness within his mind. There was no thought that traced Hongjoong’s death to Seonghwa’s own pain and demise. 

There was only Hongjoong, death, and the unthinkable. 

And in the few moments after he regained consciousness, when Yeosang was there saying they had arrived after news of the battle traveled, when Yeosang told him they were at the Northern castle, when Yeosang said that Hongjoong was in the other guest room- 

In the moments when Seonghwa stood in the doorway, when Hongjoong was as still as death, buried beneath coats and blankets, his skin pale, and his expression as lax and frail as a corpse- 

“He is not dead,” Yeosang said firmly, as if scolding Seonghwa for entertaining the idea. “But he is hurt. He will pull through, though. He only needs to wake.” 

Seonghwa remembered transforming into a human to slip from the beasts that attacked him, and promptly losing consciousness. 

“Jongho saw the whole thing,” Yeosang told him as Seonghwa stood at the foot of Hongjoong’s bed, not able to look at him without feeling a strike of fear more powerful than a lightning arc across the sky. “Hongjoong fell after you. He caught you. He tried to shield you from the fall as best he could.” 

Stupid human. 

Stupid, foolish, ridiculous, cursed- 

“How is he still alive?” Seonghwa demanded, voice no louder than a whisper caught in his chest. 

He was shaking. If Yeosang noticed, he said nothing. 

“Jongho caught you,” Yeosang said, too calm for how pale and still and death-like Hongjoong appeared. “Just after you fell past the treeline. It was better than hitting the ground, but Hongjoong still took on most of the impact. Nothing is irreparably harmed, but he has yet to regain consciousness.” 

Yeosang left shortly after, and Seonghwa stared at the fragile human life that he could almost see flickering out before him. 

And he was afraid. 

Despite the uselessness of it, Seonghwa wept. Silent and bitter, he saw beside Hongjoong, wetting the blankets with tears that he couldn’t name the emotion behind. 

And he stared as if it would make Hongjoong awake any faster, his mind tormenting him with all the things Hongjoong assured him he knew… but that Seonghwa had never said. 

Had Seonghwa even a single time told Hongjoong that he loved him? 

The best he could do was tell Hongjoong that he  _ couldn’t  _ say he  _ didn’t  _ love him. 

It was always round-about. Always half-truths. Always dancing around words he wasn’t brave enough to say, even in the dead of night with no one in the world to hear him but Hongjoong. 

Was Seonghwa truly so weak that mere words would make him flee? 

Was he truly so pathetic that he could not tell Hongjoong what he felt, after all the pain and agony he had caused? 

Could Seonghwa not give Hongjoong this one thing after so many years? 

Was he so pathetic a coward? Did he truly have the audacity to call Hongjoong foolish and emotional when it was only because of Hongjoong’s bravery, because of his ability to risk his own heart, that either of them had any of this? 

Seonghwa sat, alone with Hongjoong, the evening creeping closer, his hand resting on Hongjoong’s that was much too cold. 

Everything around here was too cold. 

He was  _ afraid _ . 

Afraid that Hongjoong would not awake. That Seonghwa would live with all the words he never said, stuck on his tongue with no one to receive them. That Hongjoong would wake. That Seonghwa would say all the things he wanted to. 

That Hongjoong would run. 

Hongjoong made Seonghwa regret. Regret his silence and his fear and his stubbornness and pride. 

Seonghwa was so desperately afraid, it made him sick. 

He could not look at Hongjoong. Could not watch his chest rise and fall, too slow, too little- 

But he did not leave. 

_ I love you _ . 

The words sat on his tongue, and he wanted to say them, wanted to push them forward. 

But he could not. 

Not when the only person who mattered could not hear them. 

(Life will repay.) 

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong’s eyes opened at the exact moment he regained consciousness. 

It was not quite so bright, everything in the room colored a shade of gold that came with evening. 

He stared at the ceiling, still aching, but when he attempted to roll to his side, he succeeded without an overwhelming amount of pain. Once on his side, he tried to sit up, his back protesting the movement, but with small shifts, he was able to straighten and lean against the pillows surrounding him. 

Hongjoong sat in a room that was not his, and was not in any part of his castle. 

He looked around slowly, his head throbbing slightly with the change in position, and found himself alone. 

His shoulders fell as he wondered if that moment with Seonghwa had been nothing but a painful dream. One where he was powerless and only able to lay there while the other begged him to wake. 

Hongjoong turned further towards the window, trying to see the exact time of day- 

And realized he was not alone. 

Tucked into the corner of the bed, just out of Hongjoong’s sight unless he turned, was Seonghwa, leaning with his back against the wall as his side pressed to the frame of the bed. 

He was most definitely asleep, his head tilted back against the wall, exposing his face. 

Hongjoong had never seen him sleep before. 

His expression was relaxed, if a big drawn, and it made him look more human than Hongjoong had ever seen. He looked younger, when his expression was not so hardened.

His chest tightened suddenly and painfully. 

_ Do not leave me, Hongjoong. I have made so many mistakes, but do not leave me. Do not make me lose you.  _

Hongjoong reached out a hand without thinking- limb aching, but moveable, running his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair, brushing it away from his face. 

It had not been some fever dream. 

At the first touch, he felt Seonghwa jerk awake.

Part of him felt guilty, for that was not his intent, but then Seonghwa was lifting tired eyes to Hongjoong, their gazes locking, and Hongjoong freezing as he tried to think of what to do- 

They were both alive. 

Seonghwa stared, processing at first, and then his expression shifted into something disbelieving as he got to his feet, a little unsteady, Hongjoong’s hands reaching out to steady him- 

Seonghwa’s hands grasped Hongjoong’s tightly, warm and firm- 

Hongjoong stared at him. 

Things were different. 

Seonghwa’s hands were shaking. Hongjoong could feel each tremor through his skin. Seonghwa’s stared at him, as if not truly believing he was real. 

His expression was shattered. 

His lips were stiff, as if trying to hold himself together, but through his eyes, Hongjoong only saw a desperate pain, a desperate plea, that he neither knew how to soothe nor answer. 

Neither person moved, Hongjoong’s mind slowly replaying all the things Seonghwa had said when he first awoke, his mind screaming at him to come up with some sort of response, something to say in return, to comfort him because Hongjoong  _ understood  _ the fear of losing someone- 

“I will not leave you.” 

Hongjoong couldn’t be sure that the words were truly spoken, or simply something his heart screamed. 

Seonghwa’s eyes traced Hongjoong’s face, as if searching for a lie. His grip on Hongjoong tightened, lips parting but nothing coming out. 

He looked so afraid. So openly frightened. 

Hongjoong pulled gently, just attempting to guide, until Seonghwa half-sat on the bed in front of Hongjoong, their hands still clutching each other’s. 

Hongjoong felt something rising in his throat. 

When Seonghwa looked at him, Hongjoong saw everything. All the fear and uncertainty… and the warmth that flickered behind it all. 

The warmth that fueled it all. 

His throat closed up painfully. 

Had Seonghwa truly spent all this time beside Hongjoong? Keeping vigil? Waiting for him to wake? 

Had Seonghwa truly meant everything he had begged of Hongjoong? 

“Your mistakes are no greater than my own,” Hongjoong breathed, no strength in his voice. His back ached with keeping itself up, but Hongjoong barely felt it, too focused on the warmth surrounding his hands. “And I have never held them against you, Seonghwa…” 

_ Please understand this _ . 

Seonghwa released a weak breath, his head dropping, pulling Hongjoong’s hands forward until they pressed to Seonghwa’s skin- as if he simply wanted to feel them there. 

Hongjoong shifted his hand until he could touch Seonghwa’s cheek, heart beating hard and fast in his chest. 

“Seonghwa, I do not need you to change who you are,” Hongjoong whispered, voice thick and weak. His eyes stung as he felt lips press to his wrist gently. “Seonghwa…I cannot blame you for being reserved- it is in your nature. I would not leave you simply for being unable to articulate the emotions you are finally feeling-” 

“I could articulate them.” 

Breath ghosted over Hongjoong’s skin, lips pushing secret words into his skin. 

Seonghwa did not move from where he clutched Hongjoong’s hands. All Hongjoong could do was stare at his hair that fell against Hongjoong’s skin and imagine what his expression must be. 

Had Seonghwa truly been so shaken by Hongjoong’s potential death? Perhaps more than Hongjoong had been at Seonghwa’s. 

Had Hongjoong truly managed to break Seonghwa so harshly? 

“I could always articulate them,” Seonghwa breathed, voice heavy and dark with sorrow and regret. “But I was too cowardly to do so. Even when it was only the two of us… even when it would have been the easiest thing in the world to say…” He swallowed. “I was a coward, Hongjoong, and I _ ran _ . I could never escape, but I tried to run-” 

A pause where Hongjoong brushed his fingertips over Seonghwa’s cheeks and found moisture clinging to them once more. 

Hongjoong let out a pitiful laugh that sounded like air. His friend was crying. He cried for Hongjoong. 

“Seonghwa...” 

“I was not strong enough to say it,” Seonghwa said, voice rushing out over itself. “I relied on you understanding, I relied on your reassurances that I did not need to…” Another harsh breath. “I was so afraid of something you had been showering me with.” 

Hongjoong released a quiet breath, trying to lift Seonghwa’s face. He wanted to see him, to speak with him face to face, to see him after almost losing him once more- 

Seonghwa head ducked lower, avoiding his grip, tightening his hold on Hongjoong’s hands. 

“ _ I love you _ .” 

It was whispered into his skin, but Hongjoong’s heart stopped as if it was a knife driven into his heart. 

“I love you, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa practically hissed, as if the words caused him pain, his grip tightening on Hongjoong, as if to keep him from running. “ _ I love you _ , Hongjoong. I cannot lose you- I did not know true fear until I saw you-” 

Hongjoong’s tongue felt as if it had been cut out. 

He stared at Seonghwa- bent over him, whispering words into Hongjoong’s skin. 

Hongjoong had told Seonghwa he did not need to say it. Hongjoong knew. He had always known. 

But with the words finally being uttered aloud, it hit Hongjoong harder than any fall’s impact could, jarring and painful and forcing the breath from his lungs. 

The tears fell hard, hot, and silently as Hongjoong stared, unblinking. Hongjoong didn’t even realize they had come until he felt them hit his arm. 

There were two people in the entirety of Kim Hongjoong’s life who told Hongjoong they loved him. 

_ I love you, my dearest brother.  _

_ I love you, Hongjoong.  _

The loves were vastly different. But Hongjoong had been clinging to the last remnants of his brother’s love for so long, Seonghwa’s hit him harder than any strike or punch could ever hope to. 

Perhaps his silence went on too long, but Seonghwa slowly lifted his head. 

Equally misty eyes met, and at the sight, Hongjoong choke on his cheeks, tearing his hands away from Seonghwa’s hands and bringing them to his face, wiping away the tears gently as his own fell harder, making his breaths stutter. 

Seonghwa’s expression changed to confused. “Why are you crying?” he questioned weakly, bringing Hongjoong’s hands from his face and holding them once more. 

His heart felt as if it were tearing itself apart.

Hongjoong pulled on Seonghwa’s hand, guiding him closer until their noses brushed and Hongjoong closed his eyes against the sight of Seonghwa, dropping his head onto his shoulder. 

“I…” It wavered with each tear that wet his cheek. “I- I know that I told you… I told you you did not need to utter the words…” 

Time stood still for them. 

His fingers curled in Seonghwa’s shirt, pulling him closer, his eyes clenching shut painfully tight, his breath coming quicker. “B-But will you say it again?” Hongjoong whispered, trying to breathe around the stone lodged in his throat. 

Hongjoong did not want to be selfish. He did not want to force Seonghwa into speaking what he did not feel comfortable saying, but… 

But it had been so long. 

And Hongjoong allowed himself to risk being selfish just this once. 

“Will y-you tell me one more time?” he breathed around the half-cries stuck in his chest. “Just once more.” 

Just once. And then Hongjoong would be satisfied. Then he wouldn’t need anything else- 

Hongjoong’s head was brought up quickly, his eyes opening at the movement, and then slamming shut again as Seonghwa brought their lips together, almost hard enough to hurt. 

Hongjoong only pulled him closer, fingers clinging to whatever part of Seonghwa he could reach as Seonghwa bent him back, bracing a hand behind Hongjoong’s neck and laying him back against the mattress. 

The pressure it took off of Hongjoong’s body made him sigh in relief as he pulled Seonghwa closer, hot tongue curling around him own, warm hands threading through his hair- trailing down his side, up his arms, warming his body as they went. 

“ _ I love you _ .” 

It was breathed into Hongjoong’s mouth, not even pulling away enough to speak, but Hongjoong choked on the sob it brought forward unexpectedly. 

Seonghwa’s body enveloped Hongjoong’s until he forgot where he was, their lips parting as Seonghwa suddenly pulled Hongjoong against his chest, Hongjoong burying his face in cloth and sobbing. 

It felt so  _ good _ . 

One arm pinned Hongjoong to him, and his other traced along Hongjoong’s body absently. Seonghwa’s lips pressed to Hongjoong’s hair, trailing down his cheek and kissing against his neck, following his shoulder, back to his neck- 

Each location was marked with a whisper. 

“ _ I love you- _ ” 

“ _ I love you, Hongjoong- _ ” 

“ _ I love you- I will say it as much as you ask of me, Hongjoong- _ ” 

Hongjoong cried, only able to lay there and be comforted. 

He cried, but for the first time, it was not for his brother. Nor his father. Nor his own pitiful past. 

He cried for his present. 

For his future. 

A future where there was Seonghwa, who did not leave him, who had never left him, who whispered promises into his skin, who clung to Hongjoong as firmly as Hongjoong clung to him. 

For the first time in his life, they were not tears of anger or fear or sadness. 

They were tears of relief. Of letting go. 

Of accepting that Seonghwa loved him. Undoubtedly. 

~~~~~~~~

Two people on this earth had ever loved Kim Hongjoong. 

And Kim Hongjoong treasured both of them more dearly than a human had ever treasured anything. 

Seonghwa, within the safety of their solitude, whispered the words over and over. He held his fragile human and allowed him to cry without mocking him for it. He allowed him to cling, to curl, to sob. 

And he simply held him. 

Seonghwa felt… warm. Holding Hongjoong, whispering to him, comforting him… 

Seonghwa didn’t think that he had ever comforted Hongjoong before. At best he had reassured him once or twice. 

Seonghwa hadn’t realized what the words would do to Hongjoong. He hadn’t realized just how desperately Hongjoong had clung to them, when Seonghwa was too afraid to say them. He hadn’t realized just how much they meant to Hongjoong. 

The weight they carried. 

The sun sank fully before Hongjoong cries quieted and his sobs had turned to gentle breaths to calm himself. 

He still held onto Seonghwa just as tightly. He was quiet, only his gentle breathing audible in the quiet of the night. 

“I love you…” 

Each utterance brought forth a different kind of pain in Seonghwa’s chest. It didn’t… hurt though. It was pain, but it wasn’t…  _ bad _ . 

It felt freeing 

_ But the pain proves that I loved him. _

Hongjoong spoke for the first time in hours. 

“I love you,” he breathed, voice rough and shattered from his tears. He took a breath that stuttered. “I have always loved you, Seonghwa…” His forehead pressed to Seonghwa’s chest. “I will always love you.” 

It sounded like a promise. 

Hongjoong shifted beneath him, and Seonghwa moved, trying to give him room to free himself from his grasp, but Hongjoong simply shifted upwards enough to press his lips to the curve of Seonghwa’s jaw. 

It tingled. It sent a spark through Seonghwa’s veins that jarred him. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong whispered against the skin. “For staying.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes fell closed as Hongjoong’s nose traced along his neck, nosing beneath his ear and under his jaw, his breath caressing Seonghwa’s skin. 

It made fire burn in Seonghwa’s chest. 

For the first time in his life, fire  _ burned  _ Seonghwa. From the inside out, it made him feel the urge to move, to escape it… 

But Seonghwa pressed himself to Hongjoong. 

And he let himself burn. 

“Thank you.” A whisper.

Hongjoong laughed- quiet and small and weak, but it was there, burning Seonghwa’s skin. 

“For what?” the human murmured, sounding exhausted. 

Seonghwa buried his nose in Hongjoong’s hair, his fragile human body safe within Seonghwa’s arms. 

“For staying.” His arms tightened around Hongjoong. “For waiting… for accepting me… for seeing parts of myself I refused to see myself… for being everything that you are.” Seonghwa’s throat burned. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, heart dropping low and heavy. “I’m sorry it took me so long, that I forced you to doubt-” 

He choked off as Hongjoong suddenly shifted, lifting his head and dragging Seonghwa’s lips against his desperately. 

Seonghwa braced himself by Hongjoong’s head, so as not to crush him, but melted into the body beneath him, following every tug and pull Hongjoong directed him with. The weak, fragile human moved him like a puppet on a string, and Seonghwa followed without question. 

_ That is what love is _ . 

Hongjoong lips moved against Seonghwa’s, and his hands pulled Seonghwa closer and closer- 

“I do not care,” Hongjoong breathed against him. “I don’t  _ care _ , Seonghwa, you have given me  _ everything  _ I need-” Another kiss that burned. 

Hongjoong had spent so much of his life alone, Seonghwa realized. (He had always known this. But it finally pierced through the barriers he put up.) 

Seonghwa was truly the first to stay beside him. 

Hongjoong was the first person who had broken into Seonghwa’s heart. But Seonghwa was the first to break into Hongjoong’s. 

Seonghwa tasted the cool tongue that curled around his own, and Hongjoong released a sound that Seonghwa had never heard before, deep in the human’s throat that was followed by Hongjoong arching up against Seonghwa. 

Hongjoong pulled away, chest heaving and eyes as bright as starlight staring up at Seonghwa, hand braced against Seonghwa’s neck. 

It was almost fascinating, feeling Hongjoong’s cool skin against him. 

He pressed his lips to Hongjoong’s neck, the cool skin smooth against his lips. 

Seonghwa did not know how to love someone. Everything was trial and error (so, so many errors). He had to test and prod and panic and succeed. 

Hongjoong’s head fell to the side, offering Seonghwa more exposed skin, and he took the gesture to mean he was heading in a good direction. 

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong breathed, fingers tangling in Seonghwa’s locks. 

Seonghwa had never heard Hongjoong say his name like that.

It burned. 

Seonghwa let it. 

Seonghwa let the fire rush over him, let it consume him, let it  _ burn _ . Hongjoong clung closer to him, burning with his cool skin and quiet whispers in the darkness. 

Seonghwa loved him. And it was his mantra as he traced his lips over Hongjoong’s skin. 

It was Hongjoong’s response as he grasped one of Seonghwa’s hands, clenching it tight enough to be painful to the human, knuckles white. 

Seonghwa had almost lost Hongjoong. Seonghwa hadn’t even realized he was going to lose Hongjoong. It was that fear that made him wrap himself around Hongjoong, intending to never release him.

Fear had almost made him lose Hongjoong without giving the other the one thing he had always given Seonghwa. The one thing he hadn’t realized Hongjoong craved to hear so ardently.

Seonghwa shoved fear aside- casting it away for once in his life- and only felt fire. 

There was no ice to dampen it. 

He simply loved Hongjoong, and together they  _ burned _ . 

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong’s world was broken the moment his brother died. 

He rebuilt it with Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa’s world was razed the moment he realized how close he had come to losing someone he hadn’t taken taken the chance to care for. 

Seonghwa has finally begun to rebuild around Hongjoong. 

Our first final step has been taken. Their worlds have now been changed irreparably. Their worlds have been connected through each other. Their worlds now  _ exist  _ for each other. 

Love is the strongest bridge mankind can build. 

The thing about changing worlds is that once it is done once…. It is surprisingly simple to do it to others. 

Hongjoong had begun to change the world around him the moment he met Seonghwa. 

Dragons found a safe haven in his kingdom, and in return, there was peace. However, the rest of the world still existed in death and loss. 

The death of Yeosang’s father is not something the young prince will easily overcome. And, in fact, those kinds of deaths- like Hongjoong’s brother- are often never recovered from. However, this is okay. You do not need to overcome death and loss. 

It is okay to be followed by those ghosts. So long as you do not spend your life chasing them. 

This loss will aid Yeosang more than he can ever understand. As the loss of Hongjoong’s brother aided him.

For even now, life has not finished repaying Kim Hongjoong. 

And between Kim Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Prince Yeosang, and Wooyoung… life has quite a bit of repayment due. 

And it will return every  _ cent _ . In one way or another. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will see you next chapter which may be the last one! I’ll see how much I can fit into it!  
Thank you for your patience and hopefully this didn’t disappoint after such a wait!  
Have an amazing day!  
-SS


	5. To Love A Lifetime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! ㅠㅠㅠ   
This has been so much fun to write, and thank you to everyone who commented to inspire me!   
To make up for the late posting of last chapter, I wanted to post this one as soon as possible!   
I decided that I didn’t need an epilogue for this one, so this will be the final chapter~   
I hope you all enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!   
-SS  
(A sort of TW for this chapter- there’s talk of death and mortality and such, just in case that bothers anyone!)

Life is beautiful because it ends. 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~

Seonghwa felt as if time had stopped. 

Or at the very least, he prayed time never moved on. 

He hoped with something desperate that he existed in this time forever, with Hongjoong within his arms, their bodies pressed close within the bed, and Hongjoong watching Seonghwa with stars in his eyes that made Seonghwa’s heart leap. 

Seonghwa ran gentle fingers through the soft locks of Hongjoong’s hair, the king fluctuating between smiling warmly as he stared at Seonghwa, and lulling closer to falling asleep with his eyes drifting shut. 

Each movement did unimaginable things to Seonghwa’s heart. 

And he finally realized what Wooyoung had meant. About how painful and terrifying love was… but how it was all worth it. 

Hongjoong was worth it. 

This beautiful, fragile, kind, mesmerizing human that chose  _ Seonghwa’s  _ arms to lay within… Seonghwa could burn for him every day of his life, knowing that Hongjoong burned with him. 

Hongjoong stared at him, expression lax and content as his fingers twirled a string from Seonghwa’s shirt absently. 

“I am glad I did not lose you,” the human murmured, breaths slow and calm. “Even if it was perhaps foolish of me to jump after you…” 

Hongjoong had risked his terribly short life for Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa did not admonish him for it. Hongjoong had always risked more than Seonghwa. 

It felt as if something were trying to grow in his chest- expanding and swelling until Seonghwa could no longer breathe. 

He watched his fingers glide through Hongjoong’s hair. “I cannot fault you for an action which saved my life… even at the risk of your own.” They spoke in quiet, soft whispers- only for the two of them. 

No one else was allowed to hear these confessions. 

Hongjoong chuckled quietly. “You have done so before,” he teased, glancing at Seonghwa, eyes shining of starlight and suns. 

“Perhaps,” Seonghwa said quietly, eyes traced across Hongjoong’s content expression and committing it to memory. “But I have also done many other foolish things in my life which overshadow that fact.” 

Hongjoong laughed- peaceful and serene as he settled against Seonghwa, arm snaking across Seonghwa’s waist, fingers pressed to his hip. 

His expression was hidden, but Seonghwa felt the mood within him shift. Felt Hongjoong’s fingers tighten the smallest amount on his hip. Seonghwa simply rubbed a hand along the other’s back, warming the chilled skin. 

“My brother always promised me he would return to me… ” 

Seonghwa went still, expecting any topic of conversation but that one. 

Perhaps the greatest pain and regret Seonghwa carried was his use of Hongjoong’s past against him. Both his brother and his birth status… they seemed so long ago, even if it had been only months. 

He still ached with disgust at himself. 

“It was how he ended every letter,” Hongjoong said, voice calm and level. “ _ I will return to you soon…  _ It was what he said before each trip he and my father made… And he said it each time he snuck back out of my chambers before my father could find out.” 

Seonghwa knew next to nothing about Hongjoong’s father, save for the fact that he was king. All that he knew of the man came from Hongjoong- and none of it was good. 

Seonghwa did not understand how Hongjoong could only view the man in apathy, rather than vicious contempt. 

“It never occured to me to doubt it,” Hongjoong murmured, fingers curling into the cloth of Seonghwa’s shirt. “Not once in my life… did I ever consider what I would do… what my life would become… if he didn’t return. He  _ always  _ returned.” 

Hongjoong shifted until he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, exposing his expression that was not near tears, but almost seeming confused. 

Seonghwa brushed his hair back gently, an almost tender action that felt only a little foreign. 

Hongjoong’s eyes didn’t seek him out- rather, they stared blankly at the ceiling. “His death… was a violent reminder to me that I was alone. My brother was my one and only companion. The only person who had ever seen me as a human, rather than a mistake.” 

His eyes drifted to Seonghwa like an afterthought, his gaze much too gentle and warm. “My brother was much like you.” 

Seonghwa had to laugh. Dark and bitter. “Everything you have revealed to me of your brother points to us being exact opposites.” 

Hongjoong shook his head, though, slow and peaceful. “No,” he said quietly, looking back to the ceiling. “You are much the same. You have both protected and loved me with all you had… And I can only think to make repayment by protecting and loving you as best I can…” 

Hongjoong’s eyes fell closed, a satisfied, peaceful smile taking his lips gently, making Seonghwa’s stomach lurch. 

“You both have given me everything I ever needed,” Hongjoong murmured. “Even if it was not everything I desired, everything I wished for… it was always everything I needed.” He eyes opened once more, suns burning into Seonghwa’s skin. “I love you, Seonghwa… For everything you have been for me.” 

He said it so easily. As natural as breathing. 

Seonghwa did not glance away. Did not duck his head and leave Hongjoong’s confession to silence. He did not withdraw, he did not run, he did not cower away. 

He dropped his lips to Hongjoong’s gently- his skin warm from the prolonged contact against Seonghwa, pulling away after only a moment where Hongjoong hummed against his lips. 

“I love you,” he returned- voice still quiet and softer than he had ever spoken before. “For everything you have changed in me.” 

For taking his pride and making it useless. For taking his anger and making it pointless. For taking his indifference and making it intolerable. For taking his bitterness and making it painful. 

For taking his heart and making it burn. 

His fingers sank into Hongjoong’s hair as the other stared up at him, as if lost in the sight before him. 

Seonghwa stayed close enough to feeling Hongjoong’s breaths brush his cheek, intoxicating and addicted to the feeling of Hongjoong against him. 

“You are the most mesmerizing person I have ever held within my sight, Hongjoong,” he breathed, his hand tracing down the side of Hongjoong’s cheek, reveling of the sensation of soft skin beneath his fingers. 

So delicate… for Seonghwa to protect. 

“Everything about you has utterly captivated me, since the moment you wandered into my clearing,” He whispered, heart rising to his throat. “You were powerful enough to tame even my most violent hatred… You made me frightened by my own love of you, for how strong and raging it was, even if I refused to see it.” 

Hongjoong’s eyes shone, his lips twitching in an emotional amusement. 

“I will spend the rest of my life marveling at you,” Seonghwa breathed, throat constricting. “At your never ending kindness that has outshone every evil in this world.” 

His brother, his father, his kingdom, the dragons, Yeosang’s kingdom, Seonghwa- 

Every evil and hurt and pain that was fired at Hongjoong… was all met with open arms and gentle smiles. 

Kim Hongjoong was an unreal human being. 

Nothing less could have tamed the beasts of his kingdom. 

Everything felt like a dream. 

Seonghwa understood Hongjoong now. After so long alone, so long fighting, so long hurting… it felt unreal to have Hongjoong within his arms, kissing Seonghwa’s neck because he was too comfortable to move any further than that. 

It felt unreal to have fire that burned. 

“I will gladly burn with you,” he breathed into Hongjoong’s skin. 

Hongjoong’s life was fragile. Something as simple as a single fall, a single misfortune… it was enough to take him from Seonghwa permanently. 

But here, at this moment, it did not cause a strike of fear within Seonghwa. It did not send him running, afraid to face that inevitable day. 

It drew him closer, his arms pulling Hongjoong against him, basking in the king’s voice that spoke in quiet stories of his brother. 

It drew him closer, listening to Hongjoong’s life and realizing that even if it was so easy to to end, it was  _ bursting  _ with life. It was vibrant and  _ thriving _ , as Hongjoong was. 

Hongjoong’s life was beautiful, as Hongjoong was. 

And Seonghwa felt only a burning desire to become a part of it, as short as it may be. 

He burned to watch Hongjoong’s beautiful life flourish. Alongside him. 

~~~~~~~~~

It would be a lovely place for our story to end. With the two of them wrapped around each other, finally brave enough to face each other. 

But there is still work to do. 

Worlds to change. 

Life is beautiful because it ends. 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~~

Prince Yeosang’s heart ached. 

It ached like a tender wound, barely scabbed over enough to keep precious blood within. 

It ached like a bruise that reached down to the bone, even a gentle breeze enough to make you flinch in pain. 

He was grateful for any distraction he could afford. 

The journey back to the Northern kingdom, only a day after Hongjoong’s departure, following the news that the armies had retreated, was a welcome distraction. 

The news that the Dragon King had been hurt, but was currently alive. 

Wooyoung had fidgeted and shifted the whole carriage ride, feeling confined and suffocated by his still wounded wing. 

Yeosang was grateful for the whirlwind of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, the other dragons hovering around his castle, the treaties and surrender terms drafted for the enemy, the counts and records of the battle- 

He had no time to lose himself to grief. Only a place within his kingdom to fill. 

The only time that the darkness began to creep in was during the exhausted nights when he finally collapsed into bed and was left alone with nothing but his thoughts. 

His grief and his pain. 

And Wooyoung. 

The body that entered after Yeosang had thrown himself on his bed, running gentle fingers through his hair, laying beside him and watching him through carefully aloof eyes, gauging his mood. 

Yeosang cried most nights, letting the grief and stress run off of him like water off a wing. Some nights he stared off, not even strong enough to form a single word. Some nights he fell asleep before Wooyoung could even follow him into his room. 

And some night he woke up with tears already in his eyes and his father’s name stuck in his throat. 

Wooyoung held him through it all. His voice dropped in a strange, foreign gentleness that Yeosang had never needed to hear before. 

Yeosang knew that below the castle, in the catacombs, his father’s grave was waiting for him, beside his mother’s. 

Yeosang hadn’t gone down to see it yet. He couldn’t. 

It lay in wait for the day Yeosang was strong enough to face the true reality. 

~~~~~~~

“Hongjoong is awake.” 

Yeosang blinked slowly, the darkness of half-sleep dispersing as he sat up, back aching from the position of being bent over his desk. He straightened quickly, glancing around as he realized he had fallen asleep. 

Wooyoung smiled gently at him, his eyes a careful reserved as he leaned against the desk. 

Yeosang scrubbed sleep from his face, glancing around. “What?” he croaked, glancing outside. It was too dark outside. He had just sat down this afternoon- had he fallen asleep for so long? 

Wooyoung reached out, running hands through Yeosang’s hair to tame it. “Hongjoong has woken up,” he repeated. “He and Seonghwa are…  _ talking _ .” There was a private, subtle quirk in his lips. “I would give them a little more time.” 

Yeosang nodded absently, still trying to shake sleep from his eyes. “Why did you let me fall asleep?” he sighed, staring down at the umpteenth letter to their allies that sat untouched. 

Wooyoung was already taking Yeosang arm, pulling on it intently enough that Yeosang followed, too tired to resist right now. “Because you slept none last night. And it’s time for you to try again tonight. All this can wait,” he said, waving a hand at the papers covering Yeosang’s desk. “And I do not think Hongjoong and Seonghwa will be finished until morning, anyway.” 

Yeosang wanted to resist and tell Wooyoung he needed to finish. 

But he was so tired after the meeting with his father’s advisors, who enjoyed bringing up his father in every point they made. 

He let Wooyoung guide him to the bed, sitting down and letting himself fall back and hit the pillow. Wooyoung chuckled, climbing in beside Yeosang, throwing a heavy arm over his waist. 

Yeosang tried to imagine if he had let himself lose this… If he were still running through his life alone, hating Wooyoung for something he mourned as much as Yeosang had. 

It was unthinkable. 

“No one told me being king was so much writing,” Yeosang sighed quietly, closing his eyes, already feeling the pull back to sleep. 

Wooyoung’s cool touch traced over his cheek. “You’ve done well… especially considering the suddenness of it all.” 

Yeosang tried to make a small noise of acknowledgement that got caught in his throat. 

Just the smallest reassurance can mean the world to someone. A gentle word to tell them that all their floundering and hoping is paying off. 

Yeosang refused to cry about it. He simply nodded, rolling until he faced away from Wooyoung who automatically pressed against his back, arms pulling Yeosang flush against his front. 

Yeosang closed his eyes, letting the weight of everything fall off his shoulders for a few hours. As documents and work and writing fell away, he was left with the only thing that was constantly on his mind. 

His hand sought out Wooyoung’s that rested on his stomach, holding it tightly. 

“I keep forgetting that he’s truly gone,” Yeosang whispered, staring off into the dim light of the room. “I keep convincing myself that he has just gone to a meeting… or off to another camp…” His heart clenched as he held Wooyoung’s hand tighter, that squeezed back just as firmly. 

Cool lips pressed to the back of his neck, moving to rest against his shoulder. 

Wooyoung gave no verbal reply. Because what could he say to someone like this? What could he possibly offer that Yeosang did not already know? 

So he just pressed a little closer, his hand intertwined with Yeosang’s, slowly dragging up his stomach until their hands rested over Yeosang’s chest, pressed over the lump beneath his shirt. 

Wooyoung’s scale pressed against his skin, their hands weighing atop it, and Yeosang closed his eyes tightly at the reminder. 

“I am with you,” Wooyoung breathed, the words seeming to come from the air itself- like a breeze rushing over Yeosang. “Always.” 

Yeosang fell to sleep with their hands pressed over the scale that rested against his heart. 

With Wooyoung. 

~~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong sat up in bed, but still could not find enough strength to move about, supported by the pillows behind him. 

Yeosang sat on the edge of the bed, filling him in on the parts of surrender and final battles that he had missed. Wooyoung stood near the door, leaning against the wall. 

Seonghwa sat on the opposite side of the bed, stoic as a gargoyle. 

“- your dragons and aid were invaluable,” Yeosang told him earnestly, gratitude threatening to choke him. “We would have never kept them back without them. They have remained near the castle, waiting for you.” 

Yeosang could not quite believe that the person before him was real. 

Who else would have ever offered Yeosang the aid that Hongjoong had? From accepting him into his castle to fighting Yeosang’s war for him… 

Kim Hongjoong was a remarkable human being. 

One who commanded- 

No. One who earned the loyalty of  _ dragons _ . 

Their meeting was not lengthy aside from catching each person up to speed on what had happened, and what their plans for the future were. 

“My kingdom is at your disposal,” Hongjoong assured him, tired face drawn into a gentle smile. “As am I. Whatever you need to rebuild, to come into your throne… I will continue to ally myself with you.” 

Gods, it was almost too much for Yeosang who could only nod gratefully. 

Hongjoong’s smile said that he understood. 

“You are welcome to stay here until and beyond the time you are recovered,” Yeosang assured him quickly. “My castle is always open to you, Hongjoong.” 

It felt like such a pitiful thing to give in return for everything, but Hongjoong’s smile was blinding and genuine, as if he had just been given something invaluable. 

“Thank you,” Yeosang managed around the stone in his throat. 

Hongjoong only smiled. “You are always welcome in my kingdom,” he assured him. 

Yeosang dropped his eyes down to his hands, twisting them around each other. “I would ask your help on a project I have been… looking into these past couple of weeks.” Hongjoong tilted his head curiously. 

Yeosang glanced at Seonghwa who stared. Not glared. 

Even if Wooyoung had not said anything, Yeosang would have been able to tell immediately that the two before him had made steps towards a very certain reality. Seonghwa’s expression did not hold such darkness as it had before. 

Yeosang had yet to see Hongjoong seem so at peace. 

It was the only explanation, given their very near death experience. 

“I wish to outlaw dragon hunting,” Yeosang said finally, voice firm. “Effectively. Under the terms of our treaty, it has been explicitly looked down on, but I want… I want to make the Northern Kingdom into a haven such as yours.” 

It was something Yeosang had dreamed of since he had met Wooyoung. And when his father allied himself with the Dragon Kingdom, Yeosang had to stare in wonder. How could one man have managed such a feat? 

One man. 

And one dragon. 

Hongjoong’s face split into a smile as excited as a child’s, his head turning to look at Seonghwa, silently asking if he could believe it, sitting up fully despite the difficulty of it- 

Seonghwa stared at Yeosang, and the prin- 

The  _ king…  _ Could almost see something like respect in his eyes. 

“And I wanted your counsel,” Yeosang went on. “I wished to start a communication with my kingdom’s allies… and rewrite our terms to include dragon havens within their own kingdoms if they wish to keep the alliance.” 

It seemed fantastical. Foolish, even. But Yeosang wanted it. 

He wanted to turn the bitter anger of their dragons into something more. He wanted people like Wooyoung and Seonghwa- like  _ all  _ the dragons who aided him… He wanted them to have more than two kingdoms in which to feel safe. 

Hongjoong’s expression dropped in shock. “Yeosang, that… That is a very risky move,” he warned. “You could lose many- if not all- of your allies. Especially so soon after your war…” 

Yeosang’s jaw flexed as he lifted his eyes to stare at the king before him, resolve hardening. “Would you remain in our alliance?” he questioned. 

“Of course,” Hongjoong answered without hesitation. “And I would support you through the entire transition without question. I only wish you to understand the consequences you may be facing. Outlawing the dragon hunting will cause unrest within your kingdom. Rewriting the treaties will cause outrage outside your kingdom.” He pinned Yeosang with a gaze as heavy as a physical weight. “Are you prepared to take on that?”

Yeosang had watched, from many miles away, as the Dragon Kingdom shook and trembled with her war- civil and foreign. 

Hongjoong still stood before him. 

He glanced at Seonghwa, his eyes trailing behind to Wooyoung who stared impassively. 

He had already given his opinion. He would follow Yeosang wherever. King or not. 

Yeosang’s hand curled over the scale at his heart. 

“I have never been prepared for anything I am to take on,” Yeosang said honestly, chest heavy. “But if I was not willing to risk for the sake of what is right… then I should have never accepted my crown.” 

If Hongjoong could risk his life, his kingdom, and his heart for the sake of his beliefs… then Yeosang had no choice but to follow. 

Yeosang needed something to fight for. 

Wooyoung and his kind seemed as good a fight as any. 

Hongjoong’s smile shone with pride, and Yeosang could not quite look him in the eyes, the sight making his heart squeeze too painfully. 

(He missed his father  _ viciously _ .)

“I will give you all you ask of me to accomplish this,” the king assured him. “And you have my unwaver respect for taking on this challenge, Yeosang.” 

The hand on his shoulder made him jump slightly, but he recognized the cool fingers. He glanced up, finding Wooyoung smiling gently at him. 

“You are about to stir up some very dark battles,” the dragon warned. 

Yeosang laid his hand over Wooyoung’s. “Will you stay with me through it?” 

The scale was cool against his chest. The corner of Wooyoung’s lips quirked up. “You know I will be.” 

Yeosang felt something like a calm settle on him as he released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding 

“Then why should I worry?” 

~~~~~~~~

People grow. 

They change and shift and flow more readily than water over stone. 

A person you met yesterday is not the person you meet today. 

Kim Hongjoong and Seonghwa met a thousand different versions of themselves, and they will each meet a thousand more. 

Each version better than the last. For each day brings a better person. 

A beautiful person. 

Life is beautiful. 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~

It was after several more days, five physician visits, and a gentle pull from Seonghwa that Hongjoong removed himself from the bed. 

He leaned heavily on the arm that Seonghwa held out to him, the dragon supporting his weight without a single stumble. 

Hongjoong’s body still ached, but it had calmed enough for him to make his way (slowly) down the stairs, and walk out (slowly) into the snow-covered kingdom. 

It was freezing (but he had Seonghwa to lean against), and he could feel his feet threatening to give out as they stepped over ice (Seonghwa simply tightened his hold and held him firm). 

Yeosang’s kingdom was beautiful. 

Their walk around the castle grounds was silent, until they happened upon a small garden full of blooming blossoms of blue and white and grey. 

Hongjoong had to stop to admire them, still leaning on Seonghwa who had to move with him to keep him upright. 

“I did not know blossoms could bloom in such cold weather,” Hongjoong said, a little breathless from the effort of walking. He touched one petal gently, watching snowflakes flutter from their perch against it. “They’re amazing…Able to survive such harsh conditions…And still so beautiful…” He smiled as he gazed across them all. 

“They remind me of you.” 

Hongjoong glanced at Seonghwa, a confused question on the tip of his tongue- 

But Seonghwa was looking at him. In broad daylight, Seonghwa stared at him with eyes warm enough to clear away snow and ice, the just-barely-there smile tugging at his eyes. 

It stole Hongjoong breath long enough for him to realize what Seonghwa meant. He was sure his  _ face  _ was hot enough to melt the snow, but Seonghwa simply cupped his cheek briefly before withdrawing his hand, turning and guiding Hongjoong along who did not resist him, chest burning with embarrassment. 

“Still so beautiful,” Seonghwa murmured, almost to himself. 

Hongjoong hit him weakly, unable to put real power behind it without upsetting his balance. “Stop it,” He muttered, ducking his head. “You cannot just say things like that. You make me-” 

A finger lifted Hongjoong’s chin, Seonghwa’s lips just barely brushing his as they stood in the snow, body flush together, Seonghwa’s other hand holding Hongjoong steadily against him. 

Hongjoong’s breath left once more, stomach flipping. 

Seonghwa’s dark eyes bored into his, light and intense as they searched Hongjoong’s. 

“I have spent so many years hiding and lying of how I saw you,” Seonghwa breathed, his lips just barely brushing Hongjoong’s, sending shivers down his spine. “And I will hide it no longer. I will spend the rest of my life openly marveling at you, Hongjoong… Until such a day that I run out of things to marvel at.” 

Hongjoong’s skin burned as Seonghwa’s hand traced up and down his spine. 

“And I can assure you,” Seonghwa whispered quietly, lips almost burning against Hongjoong’s. “That will never happen.” 

Without following through, Seonghwa withdrew, leaving Hongjoong’s head spinning as the other lead him onward. 

It took half of the length of the grounds before Hongjoong’s voice returned. 

“I do not need you to marvel at me,” he said quietly, staring at how the snow gave way beneath his boots, leaving deep imprints. 

“I do so regardless,” Seonghwa said without looking at him. “I will no longer spend my life afraid. I risk too much by it.” 

“But I do not-” 

Hongjoong’s foot suddenly sank deep, catching on a small hole in the ground, and he fell forward, barely catching himself on Seonghwa’s arm- the dragon’s other hand grabbing Hongjoong’s coat in his fist to stop him. 

He winced, holding his breath against the pain in his back, Seonghwa holding him still for a moment, not wanting to cause further pain. 

Hongjoong swallowed the initial punch of pain until it was bearable. “Alright,” he managed, beginning to pull himself up. 

Seonghwa straightened the two of them, still supporting most of Hongjoong’s weight. His grip was strong and warm- sturdy in a way that made Hongjoong absolutely unafraid of slipping through. 

Hongjoong managed a breathless laugh. “The snow covers everything...” he chuckled. 

Seonghwa did not release him. “Should we return inside?” 

Hongjoong did not necessarily want to end their peaceful walk. But his coat was soaked through and it was getting increasingly colder. And, truthfully, his back did ache terribly with how he shivered. 

He sighed quietly. “I suppose we should,” he relented. 

Seonghwa practically carried most of Hongjoong’s weight, Hongjoong limping slightly after the jarring pain of stepping in the hole. 

“I could carry you if walking causes you pain,” Seonghwa offered quietly without looking at Hongjoong. 

Hongjoong’s lips twitched at the offer. “I think that position would be just as painful. I will manage until we make it inside. I think I-” He cut off as his spine twinged. “I think I should lay down…” He sighed heavily, leaning further into Seonghwa’s arms. “And I was so excited to be able to move around.” 

“Do not cause further damage by being impatient,” Seonghwa warned him. “You will only wind up bedridden for longer and your whining will become even more insufferable.” 

And the words were oh, so sharp, but Hongjoong beamed at him, looking at Seonghwa until the other glanced at him. “Do you truly find my whining insufferable?” he asked coyly. 

“Like a wounded animal,” Seonghwa assured him, turning away resolutely. 

“But,  _ Seonghwa- _ ” 

The high-pitched, mocking whine was silenced with a hand covering his mouth firmly and Seonghwa turning fiery lanterns on Hongjoong, who only laughed behind the barrier. 

Seonghwa rolled his eyes as he removed his hand. “I had almost forgotten that you were the most unbearable human I have ever met.” 

They reached the castle stairs, Hongjoong holding onto Seonghwa’s arms with both hands to steady himself on the climb. 

“But I am such a  _ marvelous _ , unbearable human-” 

“ _ Hongjoong _ ,” Seonghwa broke in sharply, resulting in an amused laugh from Hongjoong. 

He beamed at Seonghwa, his chest filling with such fondness that it was almost painful. Seonghwa focused on ensuring that Hongjoong did not fall. Hongjoong watched the furrow of concentration in his brow, until they reached the top of the steps. 

He leaned forward the surprisingly short distance and pressed a gentle kiss to Seonghwa’s jaw- surprising the other into stillness. 

Hongjoong pulled away, blood warm. “I love you.” 

Seonghwa stared at him and, for a moment, it seemed as if he would continue his act of annoyance, but he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Hongjoong’s forehead (so warm) for a moment. 

“I love you.” 

All teasing and annoyance and mocking left their voices, leaving nothing but raw, exposed truths. 

Hongjoong’s heart constricted, but he nodded, satisfied as they continued their way inside. 

Hongjoong almost couldn’t believe how faithfully Seonghwa had stuck to his promise. 

While there were still reservations put in place when others entered into their world, Seonghwa no longer stood with his cold indifference. He simply existed- neither joyous nor hardened. 

And when they were alone, there seemed to be little to no hesitation from Seonghwa to kiss Hongjoong, or whisper those praises that Hongjoong wanted to shove him away for, or touch him, or hold him- 

And Hongjoong had reassured Seonghwa he did not need to do these things, that Hongjoong did not need them- 

_ “I want them,” Seonghwa assured him under the blanket of darkness they lay together under. “I want to give them to you. I want to remind myself- and you- so that neither can doubt again.”  _

Seonghwa helped Hongjoong into the bed- with a little more difficulty, now that he had been up and moving around- and while Hongjoong grit his teeth against the pain in his back that finally lessened as he laid down, Seonghwa laid down behind him. 

Hongjoong leaned back against him automatically, sighing in an almost instant relief as Seonghwa’s arm came across his waist. 

Seonghwa’s overly warm body acted like a hot stone against Hongjoong’s back that ached in the cold, easing the pain and relaxing the muscles. Hongjoong melted into his embrace and was even rewarded with a tiny, barely-audible chuckle from Seonghwa. 

“Stop it, I am injured,” Hongjoong muttered, eyes falling closed and losing himself in the heat behind him- all encompassing, and comforting. 

“I said nothing.” 

“You laughed at me.” 

“I do not laugh.” 

“You did.” 

“Insufferable.” 

“Then be quiet and let me rest,” Hongjoong said, reaching an arm up to lay over Seonghwa’s on his waist. 

Surprisingly, there was no reply. Simply an increase in the heat on his back as Seonghwa’s body molded against Hongjoong’s like two pieces of stone whittled down to fit each other. 

As much as Hongjoong was eager to recover, to aid Yeosang, to return to his own kingdom… 

These moments were ones he never wished to leave. 

~~~~~~~~

“You do not have to.” 

Yeosang glanced at Wooyoung beside him, his trembling hand caught tight in the dragon’s grip. He released a breath that shook too much for the confidence he boasted. 

“It has been weeks, Wooyoung,” Yeosang whispered, voice thick. “I must face it.” 

“A dead man does not care how long it takes you to visit,” Wooyoung returned, a little sharp, but concern flooding his voice and gaze. He turned Yeosang away from the door. “You do not have to force yourself down there simply to-” 

Yeosang’s hand cupped Wooyoung’s face, his heart full despite the darkness within it. “It has been weeks, Wooyoung,” he said quietly. “I miss him. I wish to see him. If only for a few moments.” 

It was icy down in the catacombs, but Yeosang felt none of it. 

Wooyoung’s eyes searched his face, but he sighed, tension leaving his shoulders. “Do not force yourself,” he simply begged. 

Yeosang leaned in, kissing cool lips gently, thumb running over Wooyoung’s skin, the scale chilled against his skin. 

Not another word was said as Yeosang pushed open the gated door, revealing a long stairwell. They began their descent, Wooyoung still holding tightly to the hand that Yeosang had no intention of retracting. 

Because as much as he knew this was something he had to do…. It was still terrifying. Something that caused his blood to freeze and his heart to stop- the thought of having to face it all- 

But Wooyoung was there, silent and sturdy beside him, and Yeosang knew that he could face his new reality for at least a few moments. 

They reached another door to the royal graves. Yeosang took only a single deep breath before pushing it open with a hand that shook. 

There were plaques that lined the walls, labeled with names that Yeosang had only heard in history books and family trees. 

But there, in the center of the room, were two stone boxes with names engraved into their sides. 

Yeosang’s breath caught in his chest, his feet jarring to a sudden stop, as if his body had suddenly shut down. 

Wooyoung’s grip tightened almost painfully on his hand, but Yeosang didn’t feel it. 

His mother… 

His father… 

Yeosang lost track of time. Whether it was moments of hours. 

His body jerked forward, taking unsteady steps towards the graves, stopping before them and staring down at them, chest hollow and aching- 

The stone darkened with water droplets that ran into the cracks of his father’s name. 

Yeosang didn’t know what he felt. Whether it was a dark numbness or an agonizing pain, but whatever it was, there was  _ so much  _ of it- 

Yeosang fell to his knees before the graves, one hand pressed against the rough stone- 

And it was only by the slight resistance that he was met with that he realized Wooyoung was still holding onto him, dark, stoic expression turned to the graves of people he had never met, but mourned all the same. 

Yeosang didn’t choke on sobs. Perhaps he had done enough of that kind of weeping. But the tears fell hard and silent as he stared at the names, tracing them over and over until the tip of his finger was raw from the rough stone, head dropping when he was longer strong enough to hold it up- 

“You raised a good son.” 

The quiet, hoarse whisper came from beside Yeosang, echoing a little in the chamber, and his head jerked up to find Wooyoung’s other hand pressed gently to the stone of his father’s grave. 

His expression was tight, staring at the stone darkly, but clearly holding back some emotion. 

“He will be a good king,” Wooyoung whispered, not even glancing at Yeosang, whose lips parted in shock as he tasted tears on his tongue. 

Wooyoung’s fingers curled against the stone, until he rested a white-knuckled fist against it, his voice tightening. 

“He already is,” he breathed, loud in the silence around them. “You have no reason to fear for your kingdom. You left it…” He paused, collecting himself. “... In good hands.” 

Yeosang stared in shock that rocketed through his veins like a lightning strike. 

As if he were back, staring at a strange dragon bleeding on the forest floor, some invisible force moving things within Yeosang he hadn’t realized existed. 

As if it was the first time Wooyoung smiled at him, punching his shoulder roughly and telling him he was no jester. 

As if it was the first time Wooyoung’s lips touched his, in the dead of night when Yeosang snuck out to see him, and Wooyoung had acted strange the entire night until Yeosang confronted him, and suddenly they were laying in the snow with lips on each other. 

As with each of those times, Yeosang was stunned, immobile, and then his chest unlocked, allowing everything to rush out. 

They stayed by the graves much longer than Yeosang intended, but it was difficult to stand when he cried in Wooyoung’s embrace once more- the dragon the only thing keeping him up as he allowed everything to flow free. 

Yeosang’s father had had faith in him his entire life. His father had never questioned Yeosang ability to be a good king. But with him gone, Yeosang could only follow what he  _ thought  _ was right. 

And hearing such reassurances… from Wooyoung, to a man who technically outlawed his kind… 

Yeosang did not feel a single ounce of guilt at his cries as Wooyoung held him closer, arms a cage around the two of them that no one could break through. 

Protective bars that Yeosang had only ever felt safe within. 

~~~~~~~

With a little less help from Seonghwa (save for getting down those cursed steps), Hongjoong made his way outside, only holding his arm gently, rather than letting it take most of his weight. 

In the courtyard of Yeosang’s castle, Hongjoong stood before four brightly colored beasts that shone and danced like flames in the light against the snow. 

His eyes shone with pride and gratitude as he paused before them, letting go of Seonghwa’s arm as they all stared down at him. They smiled- however small and private. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong said, unable to ever articulate the feelings coursing through him. “You risked your lives for a fight you had no need to take part in. I will forever be indebted to you.” 

San chuckled, head held high and proud. Jongho knocked into him roughly, glaring and hissing at him to stop preening. San nipped at his neck, which Jongho dodged, a hiss of annoyance in his throat. 

“You, especially, Jongho,” Hongjoong said, chest tightening. “Without you, Seonghwa and I would both not be here today.” 

The dragon muttered something Hongjoong couldn’t make out, not quite meeting his eyes and kicking at the snow at the ground. 

“ _ Aw, you made him blush, _ ” Yunho cooed, earning a burst of blue flames in his direction. 

Mingi threw out a wing to keep Jongho from charging Yunho. 

Hongjoong only laughed, daytime seeming so much more hopeful than it ever had.

“You all are forever welcome within my kingdom,” Hongjoong assured them firmly, earning their attention back from their bickering. “Seonghwa told me…” His expression softened. “Seonghwa told me that you will likely be exiled from among your kind…” 

Mingi scoffed, tossing his head like flames licking at the air. “ _ Exiled _ ,” he practically laughed. “ _ Dragons like to make it seem like something horrible. As if we really interact with each other to begin with _ .” 

“ _ It only means we will likely have to be careful of who we interact with _ ,” San reassured him. 

Hongjoong nodded. “I see. Well, you are, of course, free to act as you please… but in return for you aid, my castle will always be open as a home to you.” 

All four of them stared in shock. Even Seonghwa turned to him with surprise in his glowing eyes, lips parted. 

“ _ Your castle _ ?” San asked, bright green eyes dark with confusion. 

“ _ What do you mean a ‘home’ _ ?” Jongho questioned, almost sounding defensive. 

Hongjoong felt a little giddy at their reactions, chuckling lightly. He had not even told Seonghwa of the plan. His expression made Hongjoong want to grab and kiss away the confusion. 

He resisted. 

“You are always welcome within my castle,” Hongjoong told them. “If your dens are compromised, or if you simply wish for a place to spend the day… my castle is open to you. We have plenty of unoccupied rooms within, if you are comfortable resting while in your human form. If not, I have plans to begin construction of dens beside the castle. Akin to stables for horses,” Hongjoong said, smiling gently. 

They looked stunned. 

“ _ Live… in your castle _ ?” Yunho repeated, voice weak, his wings twitching 

Hongjoong nodded readily. “You may come and go as you please. But I have little else to offer you that could be of value to you. You may treat my castle and kingdom as your home.” 

The silence that followed made Hongjoong laugh again. 

“Hongjoong…” He glanced at Seonghwa who looked as though he were looking at an entirely different person. 

He smiled warmly. “Who else is using the rooms?” he questioned, shrugging. “And if I trusted them to aid Yeosang’s kingdom… I can trust them to exist within my own.” 

He turned back to the four others. “You have all the time you need to consider it. There is no need to give any sort of answer. Simply arrive, and I will have rooms prepared.” 

He bowed to them, holding it for several moments before straightening with only a little discomfort before turning to Seonghwa who stared at him. 

“We should return to the castle,” He said, linking their arms. “Yeosang wished to meet during dinner to discuss the new treaties.” 

It took a little gentle pulling, but Seonghwa finally followed, holding Hongjoong’s arm to support him as they reached the steps. 

“Is it truly so shocking that I open my home to them?” Hongjoong questioned lightly, glancing at Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa focused on Hongjoong’s feet, ensuring they did not slip on the ice. When he answered, his voice was quiet. “Dragons do not… We do not have such concepts like...homes. That is not how we view the world. We exist in one place for as long as we choose, and then we move on.” 

They reached the top of the steps, Seonghwa steadying Hongjoong without truly looking at him. 

“It is simply… a startling concept to think of…to be offered…” He lifted his eyes to meet Hongjoong’s, open and almost confused. “I doubt that any of them have ever thought that a place would ever be a home. Much less that a human would offer their own so openly.” 

Hongjoong’s expression fell slightly, becoming heavier. The thought of not having a home… it was unthinkable. Of just… existing somewhere? 

“Homes should be full,” Hongjoong said quietly. “Mine is quite empty. I would be happy to fill it with those I can trust. My home will be theirs as much as it is mine.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes dropped, focusing on his hand wrapped around Hongjoong’s firmly. His face fell into almost contemplation. “I have never had a home before…” he murmured, as if testing the word on his tongue. 

A sharp blow was delivered to Hongjoong’s chest, making his heart ache like a needle was being shoved through it. 

His hand caught Seonghwa’s face gently, lifting it until Seonghwa’s quiet eyes met his earnest ones that stung only slightly. 

His fingers ran across Seonghwa’s cheek, gliding just beneath his eye and ending at his jaw where they rested. Their eyes were only inches apart. 

“You will always have a home with me,” Hongjoong whispered quietly, heart lodging in his throat. “You  _ have  _ always had a home with me,” He swore. 

Seonghwa’s jaw twitched, his eyes flickering between Hongjoong’s, open and aching and raw- 

Both leaned in simultaneously, their lips meeting a little bit rougher than intended, Seonghwa’s fingers sinking deep into Hongjoong’s hair, feeling the soft strands between his fingers. Hongjoong’s hand caught Seonghwa’s waist, the other resting against his neck, feeling his pulse race beneath the skin- 

The warmth that came from Seonghwa was all-encompassing. Something that wrapped around Hongjoong and refused to release him. 

Hongjoong basked in it like sunlight soaking into a chilled stone. 

Warm lips and hands that wandered with no destination but to touch all that they could, warm tongue exploring and tracing alongside his own, drawing out sounds and sensation that Hongjoong had never felt before- 

“ _ I love you _ -”

It didn’t matter which gasped it between kisses, both of them felt it resonate within their chests, like an echo vibrating the very bones within your body, repeating and reverberating until it was all you could hear- 

“I love you, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong whispered, breathing coming short and fast as the other clutched the human to his chest, as if afraid of him going too far. “Always and forever, I will love you-” 

Seonghwa tried to say it back. Truly, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but his voice broke before the first word came, failing before it could come forth. 

Hongjoong watched the dragon’s gaze fracture, something within him shatter, his head falling forward until it rested against Hongjoong’s shoulder. His grip trembled where it held Hongjoong’s hip and waist, pulling him flush against his warm body. 

Hongjoong released a fragile breath as he threaded fingers through Seonghwa’s hair, caressing his hair and drawing his fingers through it comfortingly as he felt his shoulder grow damp. 

He closed his eyes against his own emotions, simply holding Seonghwa and stroking through his hair gently. 

“You…” The words were weak and quiet, afraid to go any louder for fear of breaking again. “You have always… always given me a home, Hongjoong,” he breathed, warm air brushing against Hongjoong’s skin. Seonghwa’s fist curled into the fabric of his shirt. “You have always been my home. I just did not know what it meant.” 

And perhaps it was a strange sight- two people standing on the front steps of the castle, wrapped around each other as if afraid to be apart, crying into each other’s skin and clinging to each other’s bodies like they were trying to hold each other together- 

Hongjoong was sure it was a very strange sight, indeed. 

He simply cried harder, promising over and over- “You will always have a home with me, Seonghwa, always,  _ always- _ ” 

“I will love you, Hongjoong,  _ always, always- _ ” 

But the sight was not strange at all. 

In fact, it was terribly heartbreaking. 

But also the most heartwarming sight you could ever hope to witness. 

Don’t you think? 

~~~~~~~~

“We were never quite so bad as that,” Wooyoung chuckled quietly, leaning against the wall beside the window overlooking the front steps. 

Yeosang gazed down at the sight of the King and the Dragon holding each other as if it were their last chance. 

“As I remember,” he said quietly, focused on the heart-rendering sight before him. “I threatened to kill you if I ever saw you again. And it was only after your near death that I was able to right my wrongs. And in that conversation, you and I-” 

“I know what we did,” Wooyoung said quickly, narrowing his eyes at Yeosang who chuckled without turning away. “But you must admit that the two of them are an entirely different situation than what we went through.” 

Yeosang hummed, watching their mouths move in words they were not meant to ever know. “Different,” Yeosang agreed. “But you cannot deny it is something magical to witness. What they went through… how they turned out…” 

Yeosang had not even seen half of their journey together, but it was something marvelous to witness, regardless. 

“Seonghwa puts most dragons to shame with his stubbornness,” Wooyoung scoffed, half-laughing. “I am shocked they were able to get anywhere.” 

Yeosang hummed. “Hongjoong is matched by no human I have ever met in his tenacity… I am not at all surprised at where they wound up…” 

“They are both quite impossible, aren’t they?” Wooyoung chuckled, glancing up at Yeosang with warm eyes. 

Yeosang’s smile was not quite bittersweet as the two continued to embrace. “I think it is something beautiful to behold.” 

And it was beautiful. 

~~~~~~~~

Worlds will be changed. 

Lives will carry on. 

Time will pass. 

Seasons will wax and wane. 

Life will continue on, beautiful. 

Life will be beautiful. 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~

“ _ Dragon _ !” 

The call was taken up, but loud and clear- not tinged with panic. 

Hongjoong’s head jerked up from where it bent over another correspondence. Seonghwa glanced up from yet another one of Hongjoong’s books that he read through on their bed. 

Hongjoong stood, hands braced on his desk in confusion. “He was not to arrive until tomorrow,” He said, rushing to the balcony in time to see a white beast flit by. “He is  _ early  _ again,” he sighed. “Can he not keep our scheduled times?” he demanded, even as a smile stole his lips. 

He rushed back inside his chambers. “ _ Come _ , Seonghwa,” he urged when the other had not even lowered the book. 

Seonghwa glanced at the king tugging on his arm. “They were here only weeks ago- Why do you act as if it has been years?”

“ _ Seonghwa _ .” 

The dragon sighed heavily, closing the book and rising at Hongjoong’s continued urges. Hongjoong pressed a light kiss to his jaw, smiling brightly as the two of them left the room (at a slower pace, due to Seonghwa’s continued stubbornness). 

By the time they reached the courtyard, there was no dragon to be found. 

Only a king standing in fur-lined cloths and a man at his side, dusting his own clothing of non-existent dirt that clung to them.

Hongjoong smiled as Yeosang caught his eyes, his own gentle smile growing wider. 

The two kings embraced warmly, Hongjoong sighing harshly. 

“Can you not, for once, arrive when you say you will?” he demanded. 

Yeosang simply shrugged. “I wished to arrive before all the other guests. I knew you would likely have no time for me once you were caught between a hundred Lords and Ladies.” 

Hongjoong chuckled, squeezing the prince’s hand. “I would always make time for you,” he promised. His eyes glanced across Yeosang’s clothing. “I would  _ have  _ to make time for you- Did you truly think wearing furs in the spring would be wise?” he laughed in disbelief. 

Yeosang waved him off. “Leave me be,” he said, groaning. “I have brought other clothing, but we must fly through my kingdom first, which is considerably colder-” 

“I am only teasing,” Hongjoong assured him, chuckling, taking in Yeosang’s true appearance. 

Truly, it had only been weeks since their last meeting, and not much had changed. 

Too much had changed over the past two years, though. 

Yeosang’s cheeks were thinner, his face more mature, and his eyes firmer- not quite so cold. He stood a little taller, still equal in height with Hongjoong (no matter what Seonghwa liked to tell him). 

“I am glad you came early,” Hongjoong said honestly. “It has been unbearably hurried around here. I will gladly use you as an excuse to take a break.” 

Yeosang nodded solemnly. “Truly, I do not understand all the fuss. You would think it was the king’s birthday, or something equally ridiculous.” 

Hongjoong swatted the younger king, glaring. “I will uninvite you from my ball.” 

“I am already here.” 

“Well, then, you will simply have to get back on your dragon and return home,” Hongjoong said firmly, pointing to the sky sharply. 

“ _ His  _ dragon is tired,” Wooyoung broke in, stepping beside Yeosang, looking slightly annoyed. “And will not be flying anywhere until I get a small nap and something to eat.” 

Yeosang swatted at him disapprovingly. “Must you be so rude?” he muttered. 

Wooyoung shrugged, looking at Hongjoong who only smiled warmly. “Of course,” he responded, only slightly endeared by Wooyoung’s crankiness. He had seen worse from the Northern dragon. “You know where the stables are- I believe Mingi and his rider are in there, still.” 

Wooyoung’s nose wrinkled. “I do actually wish to  _ sleep  _ during my nap.” 

Yeosang swatted him again. Hongjoong gestured to the castle. “Then your regular chamber are already prepared. There should be something small prepared for you.” 

Wooyoung nodded, looking satisfied. He glanced at Yeosang. “Anything else?” 

Yeosang rolled his eyes, fondness ruining any attempt at appearing annoyed. “I have no more need of you,” he assured him. “Go and sleep, before anyone else is subjected to your attitude.” 

Wooyoung only chuckled, looking a little too proud, and nodded to Hongjoong gratefully as he passed. 

Hongjoong watched him go, watching him look at Seonghwa pointedly, though Seonghwa almost resolutely ignored him. 

While Seonghwa was infinitely more used to the people coming and going from the castle, he and Wooyoung always had an interesting relationship. 

“Truly, Hongjoong…” He glanced back at Yeosang whose eyes shone with genuine warmth. “I wish you a bountiful birthday, and many more.” 

Hongjoong sighed gently, smiling wryly. “Every is acting as if they need to suddenly wish me ‘many more,’ as if I had one foot already in the grave. Is 25 truly so far in my life?” he chuckled lightly. 

“I am going,” Seonghwa said suddenly. 

Hongjoong glanced behind himself at Seonghwa who was half-turned back to the castle. 

Seonghwa often came and went how he pleased. He normally decided to remain by Hongjoong’s side, but Hongjoong never begrudged him on his desires to wander how he pleased. Especially when Yeosang visited and the two of them were often caught up in speaking of their kingdoms that Seonghwa had very little interest in, unless he was directly involved. 

The king smiled warmly. “Will you join us for dinner?” he questioned. Part of him always loved when Seonghwa went off on his own. 

It was nice to watch him exercise the freedom Hongjoong always reminded him he had. 

Seonghwa stared at Hongjoong, his expression perhaps a little stilted. Almost as if his mind were occupied with something else. Which it very likely could be. 

“I do not know,” he answered quietly. “Do not expect me, I suppose. I will see you tonight.” 

Hongjoong nodded, watching Seonghwa turn and march back towards the castle, waiting until he was out of sight before turning back to Yeosang. 

“You would think they were both not excited for my birthday,” Hongjoong sighed, grinning. 

Yeosang shook his head. “You deserve a hundred and more of them,” he said earnestly, making Hongjoong laugh away the slight embarrassment that came with it. 

Hongjoong truly did not place much weight on his birthdays. Before his father’s death, they were never celebrated, and while he and Seonghwa had been fighting for peace within their kingdom, there was no time to celebrate, and neither did they have anyone to celebrate with. 

Now, there were allies and friendly kingdoms they aligned themselves with in their time of peace. There were Lords and Ladies who suddenly cared for the Dragon King and his health. 

It was mostly political, but Hongjoong knew it to be necessary. 

“I do not mind so much,” Hongjoong assured Yeosang, beginning to walk back to the castle. “It is only one night,” he said confidently. “But somehow it takes weeks to prepare, and my input is always of the  _ utmost  _ importance.” 

“Always at the wrong moment?” Yeosang said sympathetically. 

“I have been  _ attempting  _ to straighten out an issue with the riders,” Hongjoong sighed. “But somehow, cake flavors are more important than Jongho’s threats of dropping his rider the next time he saddles him wrong.” 

Yeosang laughed, the image truly amusing (even Hongjoong could agree). “But everything with them goes smoothly?” Yeosang asked, containing his laughter. “Last I heard, you were running into issues of a few dragons who still attacked them.” 

“Their patrols have all been without issue,” Hongjoong assured him as they entered back into the kitchen. “There are a few instances when they carry messages to other kingdoms. The dragons out there will always be a little rougher to deal with. Surprisingly, these attacks are not as often as I feared they would be.” 

Kim Hongjoong was the first to become a dragon rider. 

His back and forth with Seonghwa to their allied kingdoms was long and it was getting a little tiresome to hold onto with only his fingertips. 

Hongjoong suggested (very carefully) having a saddle designed. (He very much did not want Seonghwa feeling as if he were being reduced to nothing more than a steed. That was never his intent.) 

But Seonghwa took to the idea rather easily, given the few instances they had faced where Hongjoong almost slipped off as they rode at higher speeds. 

(Seonghwa did not enjoy the heart attack the abrupt cries of shock brought when one of the king’s legs slipped.) 

And from one dragon rider, more were born. 

King Hongjoong’s kingdom was the first to employ a team of dragon riders. 

Mingi, Jongho, San, and Yunho had nothing better to do with their time, they decided when Hongjoong broached the idea with them. (There were plans that more may be tempted to join.)

Saddles were fitted and a very select group of trusted guards were trained. 

Their tasks lay mostly with delivering important messages that could not wait for horse, and scouting the kingdom on patrols. 

There were no more than three instances of their third job, but when it was required, they- and the king- rode to battle. 

King Hongjoong’s kingdom, years later, continued to make history that shifted the world as it was previously known. 

Yeosang and Hongjoong kept to Hongjoong’s chambers, alternating between conversation of their kingdoms and talk of the ball to take place the next evening. It was enjoyable, as Yeosang’s presence always was. 

Watching the younger grow into a confident, powerful leader never ceased to make Hongjoong marvel. 

And he told the younger this, often. 

(It was most definitely not to make the soft-spoken king lose his train of thought, his words beginning to stumble as he glared at Hongjoong with cheeks dusted with embarrassment.) 

~~~~~~~~~

Wooyoung exited their chambers, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, but not feeling as exhausted as earlier. 

He headed towards the kitchens. He and Yeosang came here enough that he was as familiar with it as his own castle. Nothing about it surprised him anymore. 

But what did surprise Wooyoung was Seonghwa already sitting within the kitchen, sitting before a full plate of food and staring off, looking as if he were in another world. 

Wooyoung, however, huffed. He marched over, knocking a knuckle against Seonghwa’s forehead. 

The other started sharply, arm shooting out to smack his hand away, and glowing lights in his eyes immediately snapping to Wooyoung, glaring. 

Wooyoung stared at him, unimpressed. “Are you truly still undecided?” 

Seonghwa’s glare deepened. “I prefer it when you sleep the entire time you are here,” he muttered, staring down at his food as if just noticing it was there. 

Wooyoung sat down, pulling the plate towards himself. If Seonghwa was not going to eat it… 

The other dragon did not slap his hand away. Simply glared at Wooyoung for another moment before dropping his eyes to the table, staring off again. 

“It is not exactly an easy decision… given everything at stake-” 

“It’s the easiest decision you have ever made in your  _ life _ ,” Wooyoung said sharply, popping a piece of fruit into his mouth. “But, once again, you are afraid of putting yourself on a limb. You are  _ still  _ afraid of being refused.” 

Seonghwa lifted sharp eyes to him, mouth open in preparation to snap something in return. 

It faded, leaving Seonghwa only looking weighed upon. He lowered his gaze once more. Wooyoung almost felt empathetic.

It was truly terrifying. But Seonghwa had more security in his choice than Wooyoung had, and yet he continued to hesitate. 

“It is not that I do not trust him,” Seongwha said firmly, glaring at Wooyoung, as if daring him to question his claim. 

Wooyoung would never dare. It was painfully obvious to anyone that Seonghwa was different. Time and Hongjoong had changed him. And if there was one thing that was ingrained into Seonghwa as deeply as the blood in his veins, it was his trust in Hongjoong’s love.

(Wooyoung couldn’t quite feel disgusted at the concept. It would make him a bit hypocritical.) 

“But…” Seonghwa sighed, shaking his head sharply. “Is it not selfish? Giving him that?” he demanded. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ,” Wooyoung said firmly, leaning forward, ignoring the food for a moment. “This is a fight you have been having with yourself for  _ two years  _ now. You  _ already  _ know your answer. Why do you not just act on it? The longer you wait, the more it will torment you.” 

Seonghwa braced a hand against his forehead, leaning on it heavily as he stared at the table, torn. 

“You almost went through with it during his last birthday,” Wooyoung went on, tearing off a piece of bread and holding it out to the other. Seonghwa made no move to take it, and Wooyoung placed it back on the plate. “Stop acting as if your question is of  _ ‘if’  _ and plan around the fact the true question is  _ ‘when’  _ to do it.” 

“There is no right time,” Seonghwa said sharply. “Everything feels too sudden.” 

Wooyoung simply shrugged, even if his heart did feel a little sympathetic (the traitor). 

“I already gave you all the information you asked for and needed,” Wooyoung said helplessly. “It is your responsibility to make the final move. I cannot help you any more.” 

Seonghwa sighed, both hands threading through his hair in frustration and agony. 

(Wooyoung hid a slight wince. It  _ was  _ a terrifying thing. And honestly, the fact that Seonghwa was considering it was enough.) 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes… love makes us selfish. 

Not in any way that is bad… nor in a way that is self-interested. But in a way of always wanting the best. Always wanting more. 

Not just for you, but for the one you love as well. 

There is nothing wrong with this. It is natural. And it is a beautiful thing. 

Seonghwa wanted to give the world to Hongjoong. 

However, we must accept certain limitations. 

Seonghwa could not give Hongjoong the world. 

Seonghwa could only give Hongjoong  _ his  _ world. 

Seonghwa wanted to give his life to Hongjoong. 

He wanted Hongjoong to have his life and make it beautiful. 

(This is important.) 

~~~~~~~~

If Hongjoong had to shake one more person’s hand, his was going to fall off. 

He kept his gracious smile in place. It wasn’t necessarily hard, but he wished the endless line of royals would give him even enough time to take a sip of his wine. 

Birthday congratulations and well wishes for his health and kingdom were dropped from every pair of lips, and Hongjoong accepted them all graciously. 

He trusted each person here, even if some of them were a little stiff for Hongjoong’s liking. At the very least, he knew that under the new alliances that he and Yeosang had formed, each of them followed their kingdoms in creating havens for dragons. 

Some were slower than others, but efforts were made by all. 

Across the room, he saw Yunho and the others clinging to the area near the food and drinks. 

(Hongjoong had been shocked seeing the others in their human forms- Mingi and Yunho towering above even Seonghwa, and Jongho appearing like nothing more than a teenger- looking even younger than Wooyoung and San.) 

He hadn’t expected them to come, given that none of them quite fit the royal scene as easily as Seonghwa did. But apparently they considered the food and drinks good enough reason to show up and wish Hongjoong health and happiness. 

San caught his eye and waved, catching the others’ attention, all of them grinning as they lifted their goblets at Hongjoong from across the room. 

Hongjoong chuckled, lifting his still-full one in return. 

His attention was stolen by another Queen asking about the drapery of the ballroom, which Hongjoong  _ eagerly  _ informed her about. 

But it was enjoyable. Hongjoong allowed himself to indulge in conversation and dances. It was his 25th birthday, after so many years and trials. 

Why should he not celebrate? 

Hongjoong caught sight of Yeosang and Wooyoung near Jongho and the others, and then near the dance floor, and then out near the gardens. He half-wished he could excuse himself and just follow them, but he remained within the life of the ball. 

Hongjoong danced with every Queen, King, Lord, and Lady who asked it of him, until he felt like his head still spinning on the dance floor and his feet had switched sides. 

It finally-  _ finally-  _ reached the point of the night where people had eaten and drank enough that Hongjoong was no longer their focus- people spending their time either laughing on the edge of the room or dancing to the lively music. 

Hongjoong finally stood to the side, catching his breath, now able to take small sips of his drink for the first time that night. He looked out on the people gathered, and a gentle, private smile tugged at his lips. 

The peace he felt in his chest was like none Hongjoong had felt before. 

Finally… he could say there was peace. 

“Congratulations, Your Highness.” 

Hongjoong jerked out of his thoughts, turning to gracious thank whoever had snuck up on him- 

Hongjoong paused, facing Seonghwa’s familiar form beside him, a barely-visible half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

Hongjoong’s shoulders dropped in relief, a smile taking his face without thought as he let go of a small laugh. 

“Thank you,” he said, nodding in acceptance. 

Seonghwa dressed in dark clothing that fit him well enough to almost make Hongjoong late to his own birthday ball while they were getting ready. It contrasted the light, almost sky shade of blue on Hongjoong’s own form. 

“Where have you been all night?” Hongjoong asked, offering his cup to Seonghwa. “I lost you somewhere after the hundredth Lord demanding to speak with me.” 

Seonghwa took the cup, taking only a small sip before returning it to Hongjoong, limbs seeming a little stiff. His eyes didn’t quite meet Hongjoong’s, flickering along the king’s body and out around the room. 

“I have been wandering,” Seonghwa assured him. “Mingi demanded a long stretch of my attention to settle a fight between he and Yunho of who was taller.” 

Hongjoong chuckled, swirling the wine in his goblet, staring up at Seonghwa, wishing that they two of them had had more time to spend together during the night. 

Seonghwa shifted on his feet, one of his hands coming up and covering a pocket at his side, pressing there. He brought the hand away quickly, as if he hadn’t noticed he had raised it to begin with. 

Hongjoong frowned. “Are you alright?” he questioned gently. “You do not have to remain down here- You can retire whenever-” 

“I am fine,” Seonghwa assured him quickly. There was a tension about him- something stiff and definitely preoccupied. After the hurried reassurance, however, Seonghwa’s expression softened. “I have missed you tonight. You look lovely.” 

Hongjoong laughed perhaps a little too loudly, shaking his head. “And you call me insufferable,” he chuckled, heart swelling. “I already told you extensively how handsome you seem tonight.” 

Seonghwa’s smile grew a centimeter, making Hongjoong’s stomach flip. 

The previous lively song faded, a slow, softer one playing on the string instruments. 

Hongjoong set his cup down on the window, smiling broadly at Seonghwa. “Will you dance with me?” Hongjoong asked, holding out a hand. “I have danced with everyone in this room but you.” 

Seonghwa, however, hesitated, glancing around before staring at Hongjoong’s shoulder. “Actually,” he said, voice quiet and secretive. “I had wondered if you could find enough time to walk with me…” 

He did not meet Hongjoong’s eyes, the nervous energy returning to him. 

Hongjoong frowned, smile fading. “Seonghwa, are you-” He cut himself off, glancing around the ballroom and finding everyone occupied with their partners and friends. “Of course, I would love to walk with you,” he said, offering a small smile. “I have not seen you since this ball began.” 

He took Seonghwa’s arm, gesturing for him to decide where they would go. 

Hongjoong tucked away the worry in his chest. Whatever was bothering Seonghwa- if there truly was something- he would tell Hongjoong. Whenever he was ready, at whatever pace Seonghwa decided. 

Seonghwa lead them out into the cool, but never cold night air of the gardens directly outside the ballroom. Hongjoong could still hear the muffled music and chatter. 

The heat of Seonghwa’s body felt like a summer breeze breaking through the cool air. Hongjoong leaned into his side as they walked into the darkness, only given light to see by the torches from the ball casting their light far into the night. 

They made it no farther than directly outside, and a few steps farther before Seonghwa stopped. 

Hongjoong glanced at him, wondering if he was admiring the roses that had finally bloomed, but he saw Seonghwa only staring off into the darkness, jaw tightening. 

The king frowned gently. “Seonghwa?” he prompted. “That was a rather short walk,” he tried to tease. 

Seonghwa swallowed thickly, not looking at Hongjoong. 

The night suddenly seemed colder. “Seonghwa?” he asked again, withdrawing his hand from Seonghwa and coming around to stand before him. 

Slowly… as if he hadn’t quite noticed him yet, Seonghwa’s eyes dropped to stare at Hongjoong. And Hongjoong saw emotions that he had not seen within Seonghwa’s eyes in… years. 

Fear. Uncertainty. Hesitation. 

His frown deepened before softening into concern. “Seonghwa,” he coaxed quietly, hands coming up to frame his face gently, thumbs brushing over his warm skin. Seonghwa’s eyes fell closed as his hands came up to lay over Hongjoong’s as he leaned into his touch, lips coming and pressing gentle kisses to his palms. 

“What is wrong?” Hongjoong asked, heart beginning to twist with worry. “Seonghwa, you can tell me- Did something happen?” 

Seonghwa took Hongjoong’s hand, kissing its palm again, eyes closing a little tighter as he trailed a kiss to Hongjoong’s wrist, then the tips of his fingers, and the curve of his knuckles- 

Seonghwa remained with his lips resting against Hongjoong’s skin, his hands beginning to tremble slightly. 

Hongjoong did not know what it meant nor what to do. It wasn’t quite fear in his blood, but it was a cold concern because Seonghwa had never acted like this before. 

“Seonghwa,” he breathed, expression pinching as he brought his other hand to rest at the curve of Seonghwa’s jaw. “Speak to me,” he asked quietly. “What is happening?” 

Seonghwa drew his lips away, his hand continuing to hold Hongjoong’s hand in his warm one, his other hand traveling to the pocket at his side, sinking into it and staying there. 

Seonghwa swallowed, looking fearful and ill. “Hongjoong,” He said quietly, his voice rough and hoarse as his eyes began to shimmer. “I…” He took a breath that filled his lungs, releasing it, each second adding another needle to Hongjoong’s heart. “ _ I love you _ ,” He breathed. 

Hongjoong could not help the weak, helpless laugh that escape his lips- the sound dying too quickly as his felt his eyes begin to sting and his heart clench. “Seonghwa… I love you, too, you know this..” He glanced the man over, shaking his head. “What I do not know is why you are acting like this. What are you afraid of, now?” he whispered. 

Seonghwa’s lips pressed together tightly, until they were white. His eyes shook as they stared into Hongjoong’s, warm and uncertain. “I love you,” he repeated, voice nothing but a whisper. “I have wanted… since the beginning… I have wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.” 

Hongjoong’s lips trembled where they pressed together, his eyes beginning to sting. “I know,” he whispered, a little rough. 

Both of them knew it was impossible. 

It was something that neither of them said, but it was a fact that clung to the outskirts of each day they spent together. 

Seonghwa was ancient. Living a hundred years before Hongjoong, and having several hundred years to live after him. 

Even if Hongjoong should live to be a hundred years old, his life would be nothing but a fraction of Seonghwa’s. 

Seonghwa’s hold on Hongjoong’s hand tightened, as if afraid he would pull away. His eyes swam with tears that did not fall. “I want-” His voice caught, and the sound of it made Hongjoong’s own vision blur, hot tear filling in and blurring the sight of Seonghwa before him. 

His heart shook with grief as he wiped away the tears quickly, wanting to see Seonghwa whose hand trembled around Hongjoong’s. 

“I want to spend… my life with you, Hongjoong,” he managed roughly. “I want to give you every day I have… I want to spend them all with you- I want to spend the rest of my life being able to see your brilliance, and knowing that despite all the flaws you were still able to love me-” 

Seonghwa cut off again, his head dropping to hide his face as his breaths shook. 

Hongjoong’s tears spilled over, burning their way down his cheeks, and he did not bother to wipe them, reaching out placing his hand atop Seonghwa’s trembling one. 

“ _ Seonghwa _ ,” he croaked weakly around the tightness of his throat. 

“Your life is fragile,” Seonghwa rasped, not lifting his head. “It is fleeting and short and nothing but a fraction of my own-” He took another shaking breath. “And I cannot bear the thought of living the rest of a thousand years without you.” 

It hurt. 

It felt like the worst kind of torture had taken ahold of Hongjoong’s heart and slowly began to shred it, his tears making it hard to speak, and his throat making it nearly impossible. 

“ _ I love you _ ,” was all Hongjoong would manage to whisper, the night seemingly silent and standing still for them. It was all that could be said. The only thing that might be enough, but could never be enough. 

Seonghwa brought their hands to his lips, pressing a hard kiss to Hongjoong’s skin. 

No sooner than he pulled away, the hand within his pocket withdrew, pushing towards Hongjoong. The king had to wipe his eyes to properly see in the dim lighting, but once his vision cleared, he stared at the object in Seonghwa’s hand. 

It was a scale. 

Hongjoong frowned, even as more tears tried to gather. 

It was beautiful, of course, pitch black and shining like cut obsidian, catching the light of the torches and making it seem as if Seonghwa held black fire within his palm. 

It was Seonghwa’s, Hongjoong knew. 

Without thinking, Hongjoong reached a trembling hand out, fingers brushing over the beautiful smooth surface. 

Seonghwa took Hongjoong’s hand, turning it over and placing the scale inside of it, closing Hongjoong’s fingers over it gently, holding them there as he lifted his eyes finally. 

They were shattered and vulnerable. Raw and frightened. 

He released Hongjoong’s hand, and Hongjoong drew the scale in close, holding it next to his heart and staring down at it resting in his palms. 

It took several tries before his voice would work, and when it came out, it was like speaking through sand. “W-What is this?” he asked, eyes stinging. 

Seonghwa swallowed, wiping roughly at his cheek to clear away the moisture there. “My life,” he breathed. 

Hongjoong stared at it, remembering the scale Yeosang kept beneath his shirt, that Wooyoung had given him. The one that Yeosang said was important to keep safe. That Wooyoung’s weakness resided with the scale. 

He cleared his throat, confusion calming him enough to speak. “I-I don’t understand, Seonghwa,” he rasped. “How… What does this mean?” he demanded. 

Seonghwa appeared to be bracing himself for something. “Wooyoung and I have been speaking,” he whispered, eyes falling closed, as if afraid of what he would see. “While you and Yeosang were meeting, years ago… He…” Seonghwa cleared his throat roughly. “Wooyoung’s weakness is fire,” he said, words coming a little quicker. “All Northern dragons are weaker against it, but it is Wooyoung’s  _ real  _ Weakness.” 

Hongjoong felt like he had just missed a step in the dark, everything a little unsteady as he looked between Seonghwa and the scale in his hand. His lips parted in confusion as he frowned, looking back to Seonghwa. 

“I-I don’t understand,” he whispered. “Yeosang said… said that the scale Wooyoung gave him was his weakness…” He shook his head. “He- He lied to Yeosang?” 

Something like betrayal and disappointment settled hot in his stomach, thinking of how Yeosang adored Wooyoung, how the other could not help but speak of him during their meetings, the dragon always in the back of his mind- 

“Yeosang knows.” 

Hongjoong drew up short, feeling like a blow had just been delivered to his stomach. “He- He knows that Wooyoung lied?” 

“He did not lie to Yeosang,” Seonghwa said quickly, bringing a hand up and scrubbing his face. “Yeosang knows the truth. But both of them have said that the scale is Wooyoung’s weakness to protect his true weakness… and to hide what the scale really means.” 

Hongjoong suddenly held the scale a little tighter, glancing down at it. 

It was smaller- fitting in his palm, rather than stretching the length of his hand as some of Seonghwa’s did. It was a little larger than the one that hung at Yeosang’s neck. It seemed so small and unassuming. 

So unimportant. 

“What does it mean?” Hongjoong breathed, chest tightening until he couldn’t breathe. Something like fear clung to his lungs. 

Seonghwa lowered his hand, staring Hongjoong directly in the eyes. Hongjoong was too afraid to look away, Seonghwa’s hands curling into loose fists at his side. 

“It is a weakness,” Seonghwa said, voice still rough, even if it had steadied a bit. “One every dragon has… Or, rather, an ability, if you view it in that light.” His jaw flexed. “That scale that Wooyoung gave Yeosang…” 

Hongjoong was not even breathing, his fingers beginning to hurt for how hard he clutched it to his chest. 

“It is tied to Wooyoung’s life force.” 

The words passed over Hongjoong’s head completely at first. They rang and resonated, but did not settle their meaning until Seonghwa spoke again. 

“It is not something… at all common,” Seonghwa said, as if rushing to explain, his hand running through his hair, shaking. “I had… heard vague rumors of it,  _ long  _ ago, but never thought it was true- or that would ever be a dragon foolish enough to try it.” 

Life force. He stared at the scale, feeling like his throat was slowly closing up. 

Seonghwa’s life force… 

“Hongjoong.” 

His head jerked up, looking at Seonghwa in blatant disbelief and fear. 

Seonghwa stepped forward, placing his hands around Hongjoong’s that held the scale, a comforting hush on his lips as he wiped at the tears on his skin, Hongjoong leaning into the familiar touch as his stomach rolled violently. 

“His life force,” Hongjoong breathed, voice uneven. “So.. If Yeosang harmed the scale… Wooyoung would… die.”

Yeosang had hinted at something similar… that he was holding something very important to Wooyoung’s life… 

“Not quite.” 

Hongjoong looked up sharply, Seonghwa’s eyes staring at the scale. His eyes were almost… warm. Gentle, as they watched on. 

“It is Wooyoung’s life force… and Yeosang’s.” 

Once more, the words did not hit. 

“When a scale is given like this,” Seonghwa whispered, thumbs brushing over Hongjoong’s hands comfortingly, gently, “it ties the life forces together. Had Yeosang destroyed it, Wooyoung would have died, but not because the  _ scale  _ was destroyed. But because it would have been  _ Yeosang  _ who destroyed it.” 

Seonghwa looked up at him, expression so open, Hongjoong felt like he had to look away. 

He didn’t. 

Seonghwa swallowed thickly. “With giving his scale… Wooyoung’s life is now tied to Yeosang’s. Their lives are now intertwined.”

Hongjoong’s heart was pounding, almost making it hard to hear, but all he could think was that this thing in his hands was Seonghwa life. 

Their lives. Their lives?

“What does that… mean?” Hongjoong asked, voice trembling as he looked at Seonghwa, trying to understand. 

“It means that…” Seonghwa rubbed warm hands over Hongjoong’s clammy ones. “Their lives are connected now. Wooyoung’s life is ancient… and Yeosang’s is fleeting. Yeosang’s life will gain time. Perhaps a couple of decades, but not more.” His hands were shaking again. “More importantly… Wooyoung’s life is now significantly shorter.” 

His life… 

Yeosang’s… 

“Yeosang will live longer than a normal human life,” Seonghwa croaked. “But when he dies… perhaps not immediately, but after Yeosang dies, Wooyoung will die with him, rather than living on for centuries more. He will age with him… together.” 

Hongjoong’s heart skipped- pausing and slamming back to work, making his chest ache with the force of each pump of his blood- 

He stared at the beautiful scale. 

Seonghwa’s beautiful life. 

“Why…” Hongjoong voice trembled. “Why-” It broke and tears were suddenly racing down his cheeks as he lifted wide eyes up to Seonghwa. “ _ Why _ ?” he cried. “Why are you giving me this?”

Hongjoong wanted to shove it back at Seonghwa. To thrust it away and never touch it again- 

He drew it closer, cradling it like precious glass, something racing through him like adrenaline. 

Seonghwa’s hand left Hongjoong’s, reaching up and cupping his cheek once more, so gentle and soft that Hongjoong barely felt it as he stared in horror. 

And Seonghwa smiled. 

He smiled, even as more tears fell, something so peaceful and calm about it, that Hongjoong’s own racing heart seemed to calm itself. 

“Because your life has had so much,” Seonghwa whispered. “Your life is so beautiful, Hongjoong, and it is fleeting. There is nothing for me other than you. I want to be with you. For as long as you and I live.” 

“No!” Hongjoong burst, shaking his head sharply. “Seonghwa-  _ Why _ ?” he demanded, fingers trembling against the warm scale. “You are meant for more than that- You have so much life around me- You cannot just cut that short-” 

Seonghwa’s hand on his cheek gently lifted his head once more, until Seonghwa could see him. Hongjoong’s eyes stung at the gentle smile on his lips. “I have lived centuries before you, Hongjoong,” he breathed. “Is that not enough time? Why should I long for more when I have already had so much?” 

Hongjoong blinked, trying to clear the tears and ache in his chest, but it only came flowing over, Seonghwa wiping them with a warm swipe of his thumb, his smile warm enough to feel like a physical embrace. 

Hongjoong loved him so much it  _ hurt _ . 

“If a human can live a beautiful life in such a time, why can I not?” he questioned, eyes traced over Hongjoong’s face with that awe they often held. “If a hundred years is enough for you, why can it not be for me?”

Hongjoong’s hand leapt up, wrapping around Seonghwa’s wrist tightly, his tongue heavy in his mouth, his chest splitting open- 

This went beyond… anything they had ever shared. 

All the fear and trust and journeys they had taken together… all of it was suddenly flattened by the little scale sitting in Hongjoong’s palm. 

“A hundred years with you is enough,” Seonghwa breathed, other hand coming to wipe at Hongjoong’s tears as well- so gentle, so warm, so sure- “I can wish for a thousand lifetimes, but it is enough, Hongjoong.” 

Seonghwa… 

Hongjoong’s head dropped, only held by his palms, shoulders shaking with the force of his cries as his heart rendered again and again- 

Seonghwa had always been willing to give up everything for Hongjoong. 

But here, he was asking to give up  _ everything  _ for Hongjoong. 

It was too much- Hongjoong could never accept this, how could he let Seonghwa do this- 

How could Hongjoong ever be worth this? 

How- 

Seonghwa’s lips pressed to the crown of his head, resting there, warm and heavy as his hands caressed his face. “Will you take it, Hongjoong?” he breathed, barely loud enough to reach Hongjoong’s ears that were roaring. “Will you hold my life to your own?” 

Hongjoong surged forward, the scale still clutched tightly to his chest as his body colliding with Seonghwa’s, his head falling to his chest as his arm winding around his waist to fist his shirt with white knuckles, a sob muffled in Seonghwa’s chest- 

The other’s arms came around him almost painfully tight, holding him against Seonghwa as if trying to merge their bodies as Hongjoong sobbed openly, no longer able to keep any sort of composure, struggling not to fall apart completely as the warm scale seemed to pulse in his grip. 

The world spun, and Hongjoong was struggling not to lose his grip on it, his entire body trembling within Seonghwa’s arms- 

How could Seonghwa ask this of him?

How could Seonghwa ever,  _ ever  _ have this sort of trust- 

Would Hongjoong not be willing to do the same? 

He tried to imagine Yeosang, walking around with something so precious, given in such a blatant display of trust, going around with such an ease, knowing that Wooyoung had decided to shorten his life by so much… 

Just to be with him. 

There were no comforting touches from either of them- no gentle strokes or comforting caresses. Only hard limbs and stiff bodies pressing against each other, afraid to part. Afraid to even loosen their grip. 

“H-How,” Hongjoong cried weakly into his chest, fingers aching for how hard they held on. “How can- How could you ever-  _ ever  _ choose me like this?” 

The night was still and silent. Even the ball seemed to have fallen quiet out of respect. The world held its breath.

“ _ Hongjoong _ ,” Seonghwa breathed his name, quiet and firm. “It has always only been you. There was never another option.” 

It hurt. 

Like hearing “I love you” for the first time, but a thousand times worse. 

Because Hongjoong wanted to stay with Seonghwa for as long as possible. For the rest of his life. And he had that luxury. 

Seonghwa did not. 

This was Seonghwa trying to stay with Hongjoong for the rest of his life. 

Hongjoong felt like his heart was dying and blooming a thousand flowers all at once, wrapping around his lungs and squeezing, and curling into his stomach and crushing- 

Seonghwa’s forehead rested against the top of Hongjoong’s head, his lips brushing near Hongjoong’s ear. 

“I have given you nearly a decade of my life, Hongjoong,” he breathed, hoarse and raw. “Will you take the rest as well?” 

Hongjoong couldn’t speak. The pain and emotion reached too deep, too far- 

He nodded against Seonghwa chest, quick and hurried as he clutched the scale to his chest so hard, he felt the edges of it dig into his skin. 

The rest of their lives. 

He sucked in a breath, as if resurfacing after being plunged beneath water, pulling away and looking Seonghwa in the eyes. 

He probably looked as if he had lost his mind, his eyes a wild, crazy, teary mess, but he continued to nod. “Yes,” he choked out, throat catching. “Y-Yes, Seonghwa,” he hissed, chest aching. “If you give it to me, I will protect it- I will spend the rest of my life treasuring it, I swear-” 

Hongjong swore the scale was heating up, but he still clenched it tightly as Seonghwa stared. 

He seemed caught between relief and disbelief and agony, his hands trembling almost too much to caress Hongjoong’s skin- soft fingers spread across his cheeks, feeling the soft skin- 

Seonghwa kissed him as if they had the rest of their lives to do nothing but feel each other. 

Hongjoong had expected lips as desperate as their tears. 

The rest of their lives. 

But Seonghwa drew him in slowly, Hongjoong’s eyes falling closed, reveling in his touch that guided their lips together. They touched softly- just a press- and then deepening slowly- like sinking into bed after an arduous day, both of them melting into the other- 

It felt like a fire had caught in his chest, slowly kindling and warming, but with each press of Seonghwa’s lips, each movement that deepened the kiss and brought them further into each other- kindling was tossed on, fueling the flame until Hongjoong felt like he was being consumed by it. 

By Seonghwa. 

The rest of their  _ lives _ . 

Hongjoong trusted Seonghwa. He would not leave. 

Their lips burned and Hongjoong felt like he couldn’t breathe, but he still pressed further into Seonghwa- slowly, deeply, unending, gladly, wholly- 

“ _ I love you _ .” 

It was passed between them like a secret the whole world new. Back and forth, in words and action, until it had stained their skin and lips and minds. 

Seonghwa held Hongjoong, one arm across the small of his back, holding him in place, and the other raking through his hair, again and again, feeling the texture and sensation of soft skin against Hongjoong- 

Hongjoong curled a hand at Seonghwa’s neck, nails catching on his skin a little, and his other clutching the scale until it threatened to cut into his hand. 

They almost breathed through each other, and Hongjoong felt as if everything had fallen away. 

Seonghwa gave him this. Seonghwa gave this  _ up  _ for him. Seonghwa gave up his life and future… for Hongjoong. 

Gave his life and future  _ to  _ Hongjoong. 

Seonghwa had always held Hongjoong’s life and future. And he knew it. 

Distantly, Hongjoong wondered if Yeosang had felt like he was falling apart this much. But Seonghwa’s grip on him was warm and heavy, like a weight to keep him grounded. 

They suddenly parted, both of their chests heaving, breaths coming in short bursts against each other’s lips, neither parting farther than needed to draw breath- 

“I do not wish to live in a world where you do not exist,” Seonghwa breathed heavily against his lips. “I have existed in that world, and I never wish to return to its darkness.” 

Hongjoong was crying again, but Seonghwa was as well, the purest agony and joy in his eyes as his hand stroked Hongjoong’s cheek in a soft touch that made his eyes fall closed. 

It felt peaceful, despite everything. 

Hongjoong felt at peace. 

“I will-” Hongjoong’s voice caught, a weak breath leaving him. “I will spend the rest of our lives loving you,” he swore in a harsh whisper. “Beyond that and more, I will love you, Seonghwa, with everything I have to offer you-” 

“I do not need your everything,” Seonghwa breathed. “Only you.” 

“You have it, regardless,” Hongjoong croaked, throat closing up firmly, his hand coming to touch Seonghwa’s face, fingertips brushing beneath his eyes gently. “You have always had it- You will  _ always  _ have it-” 

Always. 

Seonghwa consumed him again, blocking out everything of the night. 

If Hongjoong could exist like this- with only the two of them in all the world- it would be enough. 

But even having Seonghwa among the world- needing to split his attention between Seonghwa and the rest of the world- it was enough. 

As long as there was Seonghwa, it would be enough. 

The scale pulsed with each movement of their bodies and lips that chased each other. 

The world held its breath as both of their lives intertwined in a beautiful night display of love. 

The two of them caught fire from each other, and the world would stand in awe to watch them burn. 

~~~~~~~~~

King Yeosang made the announcement that the Dragon King was fatigued and had retired, but encouraged the guests to remain as long as they wished in his absence. 

Wooyoung stood by a wall, swirling a dark red wine around his glass that he not taken more than a sip from. 

“How irresponsible,” He tisked as Yeosang returned after his announcement. “Finally gaining the courage to do it, and it’s in the middle of the king’s birthday ball. And then they have the audacity to retire without even returning to the party-” 

“Oh, be quiet,” Yeosang sighed, taking the goblet from him and taking a short sip, the sharp, deep taste coating his tongue. “Can you not just say you feel for Seonghwa? You understand what it takes to offer something such as that.” 

Wooyoung huffed, turning away in a pout. 

Yeosang knew he could allow himself to think on it for long. He hid a small smile behind his goblet. If he did, it would incite a reaction similar to when Wooyoung saw his own scale hanging from Yeosang’s neck. 

“He should not have waited so long,” Wooyoung said stubbornly, arms crossed firmly. 

Yeosang rolled his eyes, setting his goblet on a table and taking Wooyoung’s hand. “Come. I am tired of this party.” 

“You have been tired of it since we arrived.” 

“I only came for Hongjoong,” Yeosang assured him, both of them exiting the rowdy ballroom and climbing the steps to their chambers. “And even he, I was unable to see most of the night.” 

“Truly, could Seonghwa not think of a better time to gain the courage-” 

“He was frightened by Hongjoong’s birthday,” Yeosang said easily. “It was his reminder that time was passing. I am not surprised this is when it happened.” 

Their chambers were as familiar as their own in the Northern castle, and Wooyoung closed the door behind them, the peaceful quiet a nice reprieve from the chatter and noise of the ball. 

Yeosang sighed, shrugging off the overshirt that had been suffocating him throughout the night. 

This land was so unbearably  _ hot _ , and their styles did not at all allow for comfortable clothing to be worn. 

A cool touch pressed against his damp neck, and Yeosang sighed, leaning into it before it disappeared and Wooyoung was in front of him, eyes that half-hidden mixture of emotions they always took on. 

Yeosng’s lips twitched quietly as he helped Wooyoung unbutton his overshirt, tossing it to lay with Yeosang’s. “If I am honest,” Wooyoung said quietly, staring down at his shirt as he slowly unbuttoned it. “I did not truly think Seonghwa would consider it… when I told him….” 

“I did,” Yeosang said confidently, undressing from his shirt and letting it drop to the floor. 

Wooyoung’s eyes fell on the chord that usual hid beneath his shirt, jaw tightened as he swallowed. 

“They survived even more than you and I… there was no other option Seonghwa would consider,” Yeosang said, sure of himself. It was alarmingly easy to see every emotion between the two of them. 

His hands curled around the cool scale that rested against his skin, dropping his eyes to stare at it, watching it dance in the candlelight. 

A cool hand curled around his, cover the scale as well. He glanced up and Wooyoung stared at him with a tight expression, lips pressed together. 

Yeosang chuckled quietly, dropping it to hang at his neck as he caught Wooyoung’s face between his palms, the other closing his eyes tightly. 

“Come on, then,” Yeosang murmured, a light laugh on his tongue. “It has been several weeks since you last cried over it. I suppose it is time-” 

“Your direct relations are an  _ ass _ ,” Wooyoung snapped, but when his eyes open they were misty. 

Yeosang simply pulled him forward, kissing him firmly, cool skin underneath his hands and lips. 

Wooyoung relaxed into the touch, his hand coming up and resting over the scale laying against his heart. 

The candles danced with them as Wooyoung felt the cool ridges of the scale, hands wandering over Yeosang’s bare skin. 

The night sang, as if it knew what sort of momentous occasion had just occurred in the garden. 

Yeosang had no doubt- as he fell against the bed, Wooyoung following, refusing to part from him- that Hongjoong and Seonghwa were similarly occupied, within their own chambers they had hidden away to. 

It was a sort of inevitable feeling. 

Knowing that you were connected so wholly to another, and your bodies almost demanding to connect in every way. A magnetic, intoxicating urge to show your commitment, your love. 

Yeosang was sure that Hongjoong and Seonghwa fell into each other as easily as Wooyoung fell into him, their bodies meeting in a physical clash of souls and lives melding into one. 

Every shift of the scale against his chest sent a shiver underneath Yeosang’s skin as he drew Wooyoung closer. 

“I am with you,” he gasped as Wooyoung’s lips touched his neck. 

“ _ Always _ ,” was breathed into his skin that was dampened by tears they shared too easily. 

The night continued, unbothered by them. The world moved on without them. The king and queens in the ballroom danced on in ignorance of the worlds that had been shattered and rebuilt around them. 

Two lives intertwined, short and remarkable and  _ beautiful _ .

They are important. 

~~~~~~~~

No world will ever be the same. 

Not those within our own persons, and not those around us. 

Kim Hongjoong created history with the aid of Seonghwa, who stayed beside him. 

King Yeosang helped change history with Wooyoung at his side and Kim Hongjoong at his back. 

Oh, how  _ beautiful  _ it is to see life move. 

How beautiful it is to understand the thing that makes life worth living, the thing that makes life worth  _ thriving  _ within… Is the clock that is ticking for it. 

Our time is limited, but our limits are not. 

Seonghwa limited his time to Hongjoong, and by  _ God _ , would it be the most marvelous life that the universe had ever known. 

They would all be beautiful to behold. 

Worlds are shifted. They are destroyed and rebuilt. 

Worlds are changed. Violently and for the better. 

But in the end… does it truly matter? 

It matters not how we change the world around us. 

The most important parts of our lives are not how we change the world around us, but how we change the worlds of those around us. 

Kim Hongjoong would live and die and thrive among dragons. 

His life began, lost in the wars of dragons, and it continued, battling dragons as if they were own demons… 

And his life… His marvelous, short, fleeting,  _ beautiful  _ life… 

It would end with dragons. 

Dragons who loved and lived as vibrantly as any human had ever  _ dared  _ to. Dragons who had chosen to remain by their sides. 

By the ones they changed and were changed by. 

By the ones who destroyed and rebuilt worlds beside them. 

Dragons who chose to live and die beside the ones they chose to love and be loved by. 

Their lives will end, as they began. 

Our story began, as it ends. 

With an action of love. 

And with dragons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a wild ride, and I’m really glad for how the story turned out! This was not originally how I planned the story at all, but that’s the fun of writing!   
I’m not sure what I’ll write next, and I’m not sure how busy my schedule will stay, but I’ll keep you posted as best I can!   
Thank you to everyone, and please let me know what you thought!  
Have an amazing day, lovelies, and I’ll see you in my next work!   
-SS

**Author's Note:**

> I have a Twitter and CC! Both @_SinisterSound_  
I’m always up to talk! I promise I don’t bite! >ㅅ<  
Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
